(Darry's POV)

Before we left, Soda gave Kate a clean rag for her cheek in case it started bleeding on the way to her apartment. She thanked him with a small smile, and I noticed her wince as the action pulled at the cut. Her expressive eyes displayed her gratitude enough anyways, so even when she had to wipe the grin from her face, Soda smiled back and gave her a knowing nod in return.

After Kate thanked everyone, especially Dally and Steve, she said goodbye to the guys, and together, we walked to the truck. As we walked, I instinctively rested my hand on the small of her back. I don't know if it was because I felt like the contact would comfort her, or if it was me that needed the contact to calm my own emotions, but either way, she didn't say anything about it or swat my hand away. In fact, I could've sworn I felt her shiver a little underneath my hand, and I felt a jolt of electricity at the same time.

Once we reached the truck, I opened the door for her, and after she was sitting, I gently shut the door and walked over to the driver's side. After I sat down and started the engine, I looked over at her. She was resting her head against the window with her eyes closed.

"Are you alright, Kate?" I asked quietly, but seriously.

"Yes Darry, I'm fine," she said tiredly. "Just a long night."

I wasn't sure if she was hiding something from me or not, but I didn't say anything. Instead, I let out a sigh and started driving towards her apartment. Of course it was a long night for her. She went to a bar and a guy hit her! When I get my hands on him, he's going to wish he never even looked in her direction.

A few moments passed, and I heard Kate shifting in her seat. From the edge of my vision, I could see her looking at me. "Are you okay, Darry?" she asked softly.

I clenched my jaw and gripped the steering wheel tighter in hopes I could keep my temper reined in. How could I be okay? One of Tim's guys hit you in the face! What kind of guy hits an innocent person in the face?

My heart climbed up to my throat. Me. I'm that guy. I did the same thing to Ponyboy just a couple months ago.

"No. Not really," I choked out without meaning to. I couldn't say anything else since I had to make sure I got Kate home safely, so I kept my eyes trained on the road and focused on driving and only driving.

We didn't say anything the rest of the way, but when I parked in front of Kate's apartment building and turned the truck off, she didn't move to leave. Instead, she kept looking at me, and when I reached to open my door, she grabbed my arm, stopping me. "Hold on, Darry. What's wrong?"

With my mind no longer needing to be focused on anything else, I felt myself get consumed by my anger, frustration, and concern. "Other than some guy at a bar hitting you?" I asked far too harshly. As quick as the words came out, I tried to be just as quick to apologize. "Sorry, that came out wrong. I'm not mad at you."

To her credit, Kate didn't look upset, even though she should've been since I raised my voice at her. "You're mad at that Joe guy," she surmised immediately.

I nodded, but I knew that wasn't it. He and I have done the same thing. Really, what's the difference between Joe and me? "I'm mad at him, but also at myself."

"What?" she asked incredulously. "That doesn't make sense, Darry. Why would you be mad at yourself? You weren't even there."

You weren't even there. That hit another sore spot that I didn't realize I had. "I know you were out with Rachel, and I'm not going to be with you all the time, we have our own lives and everything. It's just… it still feels like I should've prevented it somehow, or at least beat the tar out of the guy who hit you," I said. "I don't like that the guys had to be the ones to protect you."

For some reason, she smirked at that. "Sure, they helped out tonight, but I have a feeling they won't need to again. Apparently, you have a reputation, and being your girl means other guys will think twice about messing with me."

I couldn't help but grin a little at that. Good.

After seeing my reaction, she continued adding on more details. "When Dally said I was 'Darry Curtis's girl' the guy knew he was in trouble. I'm starting to think you're scarier than I thought."

I was grinning for a moment, but then I remembered hitting Pony again, and my grin immediately fell from my face. I am scary.

"Darry? Hey, I- I'm sorry. I was just joking," she said nervously.

Seeing Kate with a cut on her cheek as she was looking at me nervously, I realized the truth. "You should be scared of me," I admitted sadly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked almost angrily. "Why on Earth would I be scared of you?"

I looked down at my hands, simultaneously remembering hitting Pony and wishing I could forget it. Kate is always saying how I'm a gentleman and everything, but she's wrong. If I hit my kid brother, what's stopping me from hurting her? "Because I'm not as good of a guy as you think I am. I… I've made mistakes. Some really big mistakes"

"Okay?" she questioned, but she kept her voice surprisingly soft. "Everyone makes mistakes, Darry. It doesn't make you a bad guy."

I shook my head, still looking down at the hands that hurt my brother. If only you knew. "Most people don't make mistakes like the ones I have."

"Darry, where's this coming from?" she asked. She was starting to sound alarmed, and I wished it wasn't my fault that she sounded like that. I don't ever want to see or hear her sound scared.

"It's just…" I started. Glory, how do I tell her?

I knew she deserved the truth, especially after everything she had shared with me and the guys already, but the truth felt like a knife stabbing me in the heart. Suck it up, Darry. You have to tell her. She needs to know before things go too far or get too serious. It's better if she breaks things off now instead of months down the road.

Finally, I gathered enough courage to speak again. "What happened to you tonight reminded me of the most regretful thing I've ever done," I admitted.

We sat in silence for a minute or two before Kate spoke up. "You can tell me anything, Darry. Two-way street, remember?"

She's too sweet, too good for me. I managed to peel my eyes away from my hands and look at her for a moment. She was watching me with a careful and concerned expression. I looked back down at my hands. Get it over with, Darry. Quick and painful is better than slow and torturous.

I took a deep breath and forced the words out of my mouth. "The reason Pony and Johnny ran into the Socs at the park a couple months back was because Pony ran out of the house that night." I took another breath and continued to look at my hands. Say it. "I hit Pony. I hit my baby brother in the face, and he ran off. He ran because he was scared of me."

Why did I have to lose my temper that night?

I remained frozen in my seat, glaring at my hands and losing myself in my head, just like I always yelled at Pony for doing. My brothers and I will never forget the moment I hit Ponyboy. The sights and the sound of the hit… it will all forever be imprinted into my brain.

Why did it take the murder of a Soc and Pony running away for a week for me and my youngest brother to learn how to talk to each other?

"Did you mean to hit him?" Kate suddenly asked, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts.

My head snapped up to look at her. "What?" I asked, noting that my tone was harsh again, but not quite able to fix it. "No, of course not."

"Okay, so it was mistake, and you obviously regret it," she said plainly, like it was a simple situation. "So why did you do it?"

"I didn't mean to!" I practically shouted, then I grimaced. Not only did I manage to repeat Pony's infamous line, but I was yelling at the woman who I was dating and really liked.

I was surprised that she didn't seem upset by my outburst. Just like a school teacher, she patiently pressed for more information, making me think harder. "Then why did you do it?"

"Because… because I was all worked up," I eventually got out.

"What got you worked up?" Kate asked kindly.

I rubbed my hand down my face as that awful night played out in my mind for probably the thousandth time. "He was late, real late. Hours past his curfew. I was terrified when he didn't show up. I thought something awful happened. When he came home safe and sound, I was so relieved, but then we started arguing about why he was late. Soda jumped in, Pony yelled at me, and I just reacted. It all happened so fast, and I regretted it as soon as it happened."

I could hear my voice trembling, but I forced myself to talk until I had said everything I needed to. "Sometimes I wonder if Pony's still scared of me because of what happened, and I wouldn't blame him if he did. I'll never forgive myself." Pony and I had talked about that night on a couple different occasions, and even though he always said he forgave me and understood why I did what I did, I couldn't help but wonder if he was lying to me.

Kate waited a few moments before she said anything. "I can tell you're still upset with yourself about it, but I don't think Pony is scared of you, and I sure as hell haven't changed my opinion of you."

"You should," I said gloomily. Does she not understand what I just told her? I hit my baby brother! "I'm just like Tim's guy tonight, hitting people across the face. Or even worse, I'm like your step-dad since I hit an innocent kid."

"You're nothing like Victor. Don't you ever think that, not even for a second," she said loudly with a surprising amount of ferocity.

I could feel my eyes get wide. "But-"

"Look," she cut in, her voice softening just a little. "It sounds like what happened with you and Pony came out of love and concern for your brother, not out of malice. No, it wasn't the best way to handle things, but I can see that you've learned from it. You regret it, and I'm willing to bet it won't happen again."

I nodded in agreement, but I turned my head away in shame. No, I won't ever do it again. But I still hurt my brother, and she's trying to make me feel better about it, but it isn't something I could ever feel better about.

Suddenly, I felt Kate grab my hand. I waited for her to say something, but she didn't, so I turned to look at our hands. Her soft, warm hands were holding mine, her thumbs rubbing my skin in a soothing manner. "Can't you see? That's the difference, Darry. When Victor hit me, there was no love, just pure evil. He never regretted it. He never apologized. He wanted to hurt me, Darry. Do you think you'll ever feel like that? With your brothers, or even me?"

My head shot up so my eyes could meet hers. "No. Never," I said fiercely because I meant it. Nothing could ever happen that would make me want to purposely hurt her or my brothers.

She nodded and gave me a soft smile. "That's why you're different. I'm not scared of you, and I know Ponyboy isn't either." I scoffed and was about to argue, but she was quick to talk over me. "You think he would've been laughing earlier when you held him upside-down if he was scared or didn't trust you?"

I shrugged. Maybe he just felt safe with all of the other guys there.

"Darry," she said sadly with pleading eyes. "I've seen how he looks at you, how all of the guys look at you. They trust you, and they idolize you. Neither of your brothers– or Johnny for that matter– are scared of you, and I'm not either. We know you care about those closest to you and you wouldn't do anything like what abusive parents do. That's why your house is still a safe place for everyone to go."

I sat there, looking into her beautiful eyes to search for any hint of dishonesty, but I found none. "After everything I just told you, and everything you've dealt with… why aren't you scared of me, or worried that I'd hurt you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Between what I knew about you in high school and what I've learned since we started dating, you've proven yourself to be a good man over and over again." My eyes were about to break away from hers, but she must've sensed it because she grabbed my chin and forced me to continue looking at her. "I understand that you made a mistake and you feel awful about it, but that doesn't make you a bad person."

The intensity in her eyes told me that she really meant everything she said. Still, I was anxious. "I don't want to hurt you-"

"If I thought there was a chance of you hurting me, I wouldn't be dating you," she said confidently. "I trust you, Darry. I haven't felt so safe or comfortable with someone in a long time, maybe ever."

Her words made my heart swell. It's one thing to have a girl say they trusted you whole-heartedly, but when it's someone like Kate– who has many valid reasons to not trust people in general, but specifically men– it was the best compliment she could've given me. "Really?"

She nodded. "Really."

I studied her for a moment, then I let my body move before my brain thought things through. I put my hands on the sides of her face, being extra careful not to hurt her sliced cheek, then pulled her into a kiss. In the back of my mind, I was worried that I initiated the kiss without asking her first, but I was thrilled that she immediately reciprocated. Our lips moved together, and when I felt her teeth lightly bite onto my lower lip, I had to fight back a blissful moan.

Kate eventually pulled away from me and smiled. "And you didn't even ask this time." I opened my mouth, about to apologize, but Kate put a finger against my lips to keep me quiet. "I meant that as a joke, Darry. I told you that I'd make it obvious if the answer wouldn't be 'yes.'"

I nodded, deciding to listen to her rather than argue or say something stupid.

Suddenly, she leaned forward and gave me another quick kiss on the lips before sitting back in her seat. "You can be tough and strong all you want, but I'm not scared of you." Then a cunning smirk creeped onto her face. "But if the other guys around town are intimidated by you, that's not a bad thing. Maybe I won't be in another bar fight then."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Good. I don't want to see you hurt again."

She playfully rolled her eyes at me. "It's just a scratch. Anything on the head or face just bleeds a lot."

I grinned as I shook my head. She really is stubborn.

"And Darry?" Kate suddenly started. I raised my eyebrows, silently letting her know I was listening. She grabbed both of my hands and held them between us as she kept her eyes on mine. "Thanks for telling me about that night. I know it must be really hard to talk about, and I understand that you were worried about how it would affect me, but I really mean it when I say I trust you. You're a good guy."

We sat there for a moment, just looking at each other. As she held my hands and I stared into her mesmerizing eyes, it slowly started to feel like a weight was being lifted off my shoulders. How does she have the ability to make me feel better so effortlessly?

"Thank you, Kate." Then I looked at the bandaged cut on her cheek and added, "if I ever raise a hand near you, I want you to tell the guys. They'll pummel me, then probably skin me for good measure."

She quirked an eyebrow and smirked at me. "I don't know, according to Ponyboy, I might be able to take you myself." We both laughed, and it felt like the tension that had filled the truck was quickly lifting.

Kate let go of my hands and turned towards her door. "I should probably go check on Rachel."

"Wait," I said as I reached to hold her hand before she could open the door. She turned at looked at me curiously. "Before we get out, can I ask you something?"

Her eyebrows furrowed, but she nodded. "Of course. What is it?"

Here goes nothing.

"The gang told Tim's guy that you were my girl, and earlier at the house, Steve called you my girlfriend. Neither of us corrected him," I said slowly. "Is that okay with you? I know we haven't been dating long, and I want to make sure we're on the same page about where we are when it comes to that sort of thing."

I preferred to take my time with relationships, which bothered some of the girls I dated in high school, but ever since our first date, I knew there was something different about Catherine Miller. Everything seemed easy and natural with her, so for once, it didn't scare me to put a label on our relationship. If she was okay being called my girlfriend, then I'd be thrilled to call her that.

Her eyes widened a little, but then a smile swept across her face. "I heard it too, and if I'm being honest, I kind of liked being called your girlfriend. Are you okay with being called my boyfriend?"

I matched her smile. "I'm more than okay with it," I said lightly. I felt like I could die via embarrassment from the cheesiness of it all, but even so, my heart was pounding with excitement.

"Before we decide we're going steady or tell anyone, I just need to say something," I said, wishing that I didn't have to be the negative one that brings a happy conversation down.

She nodded and stayed quiet.

I took a breath, preparing myself for what I was about to say and how Kate might react. "I know no girl wants to hear this, but my brothers are my top priority– them and Johnny. I have to take care of them, no matter what," I said seriously, but still as kindly as I could. "That might mean I don't have as much free time, or I might have to cancel plans if something comes up, and I'm real sorry about that, but that's how it is. They will always come first."

I waited to see her reaction, mentally preparing myself for her to take everything back and say she didn't want to go steady if she wasn't my top priority, but instead, she nodded.

"Of course. I understand, Darry. I really do," she said, sounding honest. "In fact, I'd be upset if that wasn't the case."

I looked at her skeptically, waiting for my brain to realize that I couldn't have really understood what she said.

She grinned a little at me. "I knew going into this how close you were with your brothers, and the gang too for that matter. On our first date, you told me how making sure your brothers were taken care of was always the most important thing to you– even more important than your own goals and dreams. Not only that, but then you told me you're in charge of Johnny, so I figured those feelings extended towards him as well." She paused, like she was making sure I was comprehending everything she said. "Darry, I already know all of this, and it's more than okay. I would even go as far as to say I'd be upset with you if I found out you ditched your brothers to spend time with me."

My eyebrows shot up to my hairline. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," she said, her eyes unwavering. "You dropped everything to take care of your brothers, and it's one of the things I admire most about you. Not only that, but you made sure Johnny wouldn't go back to a house where he wasn't treated well and took it upon yourself to be his guardian too. I'd never want to be a strain on what you all have. I'd love to be your girlfriend only under the condition that your family is still your top priority."

I was shocked. I had anticipated at least a little pushback from her, but instead, she understood and had the same feelings that I did. "I- I don't… glory, you are an amazing girl, Kate."

She grinned, then moved towards me and put her hand on the back of my neck, her fingers combing through the bottom of my hairline. "I think you're pretty great too." Then she leaned in and we shared a quick kiss before we broke apart. "Now that we have that all settled, I should really go check on Rachel."

I nodded, then I quickly got out of the truck to open her door for her.

We walked up to Kate's apartment, and the whole way, I felt almost giddy. Kate's officially my girlfriend. We're going steady. Before I knew it, we made it to her apartment door. Luckily, it was unlocked, so we walked right in.

"Rachel?" Kate called out into the apartment.

There were strange noises coming from a different part of the apartment, and once we heard the toilet flush, Kate groaned and quickly walked in the direction of the sounds. I followed her, knowing far too well what someone vomiting sounded like.

"It's alright, darlin'," I heard a surprisingly familiar and soft voice say as Kate and I approached the bathroom. Once we rounded the corner and stood in the doorway to the bathroom, I was stunned to find Kate's friend, Rachel, sitting on the floor with her head hovering over the toilet, while Two-Bit was kneeling next to her, holding her hair back. "Just let it out."

"You stayed?" Kate asked, obviously shocked.

My buddy looked up at us with an innocent look on his face. "Of course I did. You can't just bring a drunk girl home, say 'good luck, try not to choke on your own vomit' and then ditch her."

I just stood there and blinked. When it really came down to it, Two-Bit was a good guy and a great friend, but I was still a little surprised he stayed since as far as I knew, he and Rachel weren't even friends. Sure, I mentioned I'd drive him back to the house if he was still at the apartment, but I didn't know what the chances were of him actually still being there.

"Thanks Two-Bit," Kate said as she moved to kneel on the other side of Rachel and took over hair-holding duties. "I'm here, Rach."

The blonde retched into the toilet, making me cringe at the noise. Kate didn't seem fazed though, and she rubbed circles on Rachel's back until she was done heaving, then Kate reached over the blonde to flush the toilet.

"She's drunker than me on a bad day," Two-Bit noted, still not getting up from his spot next to the vomiting girl. He sounded surprised, but something was off with his tone; he almost sounded a little sad too. "She was mumblin' earlier, somethin' about a guy, but I couldn't understand her. What got her so twisted?"

Kate sighed. "Her boyfriend broke up with her. She kept asking if it was because she wasn't pretty enough for him, but there was a rumor that he was cheating on her with a Soc girl and I'm inclined to believe it. That's why she wanted to go out tonight."

"Breakups are rough, man," Two-Bit said.

I saw the look of sadness sweep across his face and I felt a pang of sadness for my buddy. Kathy had broken up with him about a week before the day Kate waited on us at the diner. To add insult to injury, Kathy started dating another guy almost immediately after their breakup, which made most of the gang wonder if she was two-timing Two-Bit while they dated, but we never brought it up.

"She's about to have an even rougher mornin' though," my friend added.

"Yeah, tomorrow will be rough," Kate said sadly. "Hopefully some water and aspirin will help though."

"You need anything?" I asked, feeling useless as I just stood there in the doorway.

Kate shook her head and looked up at me. "I got it. It's not my first time taking care of a drunk person, and it won't be my last either."

Two-Bit stood up then slapped a hand on my shoulder as he turned around to face Kate. "Darry's had some practice with it too."

"Yeah, especially with you," I said.

My buddy looked at me with his eyebrows so high, they almost reached his hairline. "That might be true, but don't sound so high and mighty, Superman. I seem to recall a time or two I had to play nurse for you."

I wasn't much of a partier or a drinker, but a few times during and after high school, I attended parties. It wasn't my scene, not like it was for Two-Bit or some of the other guys, but I pretended to enjoy myself during the few hours I'd stay. On a couple occasions, I drank quicker and more than I thought, which left me tossing cookies into a toilet.

"Yeah yeah, we'll call it even," I muttered, earning a laugh from Two-Bit and Kate.

Rachel gagged again, but it didn't sound like she had much left to throw up. Still, Kate kept Rachel's hair out of her face and rubbed circles on her back.

"You sure you got it handled?" Two-Bit asked earnestly.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Kate said. Then she looked up at Two-Bit. "Thanks again, Two-Bit, for everything. The stuff at the bar, then bringing Rachel here-"

"Don't worry 'bout it," Two-Bit said with a wave of his hand. "Happy to help." Then his eyes narrowed as he looked at Kate closely. "Looks like Darry patched you up real good."

She nodded then grinned at me. "He did, even after he was woken up to do so."

Kate was joking, but I could tell she was at least a little bothered by the fact Pony had woken me up to help her. "It's fine, Kate. Really," I said, hoping she'd believe me.

I remembered being so tired after work that I went to bed right after dinner, only to be woken up a few hours later by Pony shaking my shoulder, telling me that Kate's face was bleeding and that she needed me. It was hard to think of a time I jumped out of bed faster.

"You sure you're alright?" Two-Bit asked Kate.

She grinned at him. "Yeah, I'm alright. It's also not the first time I've been hit." Two-Bit looked puzzled, and then a look of realization crossed Kate's face. "Oh, you don't know."

"Know what?" my friend asked worriedly.

Kate looked at me, her expression firm. "He should know too."

"You sure?" I asked, but she was already nodding before I finished asking. I didn't want Kate to have to go through telling her life story all over again, especially not while she was nursing a drunk friend on the bathroom floor. She had already been more vulnerable with me and the guys than I would've been in her situation, so the least I could do was spare her from some more. "The guys and I will tell him when we get back."

"Tell me what?" Two-Bit asked, still sounding concerned and a little frustrated that nobody was telling him anything.

"You'll find out when you guys get back to the house," Kate said calmly. "Which you might want to do soon since Darry looks ready to fall asleep any minute."

I didn't feel like I was making it obvious how tired I felt, and I'd stay up for hours on end if someone needed me, but I could tell Kate was trying to coax Two-Bit and me to leave, so I didn't say anything.

"Alright grandpa, let's get you back to bed," Two-Bit joked. He turned to walk towards the front door, but he addressed Kate one more time. "If you guys need anything, or another guy bothers you, let me know, alright? Me and Muscles here will take care of it."

"I appreciate that, thank you," Kate said genuinely.

"Alright, good night ladies," Two-Bit said with a salute before walking out of the bathroom.

I stayed where I was, not really liking the idea of leaving Kate alone to take care of her drunk friend while nursing a bandaged cheek. Before I could say anything, Kate spoke up. "I'm alright, Darry. Go home and get some sleep."

I hesitated, still feeling like I could do more.

Sensing my hesitation, Kate reached her free hand out to me, which I took after I stepped forward. She pulled me down for a quick kiss, then when she pulled away, she smiled at me. "Thank you, Darry. Now go home. I got this."

I nodded, then stood up. "Okay. Good night, Kate. And call me if you need anything." She nodded in reply, even though I was pretty sure she'd be too stubborn and concerned about me to call for anything the rest of the night.

I walked towards the door, where Two-Bit was waiting for me with a smirk on his face. I gave him a questioning look, and as soon as the door was shut behind us and we were walking back to the truck, the jokester couldn't stay quiet anymore.

"Soooo are you gonna tell me about it or what?"

I looked at him, utterly confused. "About what?"

He snickered. "Your lips are swollen, and if I'm not mistaken, I see a little dried blood on your bottom lip. Did you two get a little-"

"Shut it," I snapped, but I knew he wasn't about to listen or take me seriously. "We kissed, alright? That's it." Glory, what is it with all of the guys wanting to know everything about my personal life?

"I dunno man, you got a certain look in your eyes," he said.

I don't know if I was just that easy to read, or if Two-Bit was just talking to talk, but either way, I couldn't fight the grin off my face. "Kate and I are officially going steady."

He instantly looked elated. "That's great, man!" he said as he slapped a hand on my shoulder again and giving it a shake. "Wait until we get back to the house and we tell everyone! Then I can also figure out what the hell you two were talkin' about."

I nodded but stayed quiet as we approached the truck. Meanwhile, Two-Bit kept talking about all sorts of things, but mostly how it was all because of him that Kate and I were dating in the first place and I should be thanking him. When we sat down and I started the engine, he was in the middle of claiming he was the best at setting people up with dates. I wasn't really listening intently, and I interrupted him so I could say something before I had to start driving again.

"Hey Keith?" I said.

He immediately shut up and looked at me almost seriously. Any time I used his real name, he knew I wasn't joking around. "Yeah?"

"Thanks," I said simply. It was only one word, but Two-Bit and I had known each other for so long, I knew he'd understand what I was saying. Thanks for looking out for her, for helping her out at the bar, and taking care of her friend until we got there.

He grinned. "Of course, Dar. We're all gonna keep looking out for your girlfriend. She's one of us now, ain't she?"

I grinned and nodded my head at that. "Yeah, she is."