Work Text:
“It's not that big of a deal” Darry tries to argue with the two men in front of him, but he knows that it's no use, not when one of them is angry and the other is worried.
Darry is at the kitchen table, and the lamp is on, being the only light sores, poorly lighting up the room, so he can make out how the other two are looking at him. His brown hair is a mess, mainly from him running his hand through it, as well as playing with it, well he is doing a budget.
It is long enough to the point he can spin it on and around his finger, he really needs a haircut, he has said it multiple times but then Two-Bit is like no, I wanna play with your handsome hair and Tim loves to pull on it.
Since the Shepherd’s have moved in with them, which they were kicked out by the landlord because of their parents being the worst, Darry said that they could move in with them, and with the fact that he was already adding on to the house because he got guardianship over Dally, Steve, and Johnny, because their parents are assholes and didn't show up to the court meeting Darry got it without having to get a case, and the fact that Two-Bit is basically living with them, they were running out of living place.
So Darry has added on to the house, and now everyone has their own bedroom, well everyone said who they wanted in their bedroom and Darry made it so everyone got what they wanted. Darry, Tim, and Two-Bit in one room, Ponyboy and Curly in another, Angel in one, Kathy in another one, Steve and Soda, and Johnny and Dally in the last one.
With everyone moving in, the cases, the building, and more people more mouths, Darry has to make a new budget, with the building done, plus the fact that he made another bathroom so not all 11 people in a house with one shower and one toilet, he is gonna have to redo it to make it next month before they are all paid.
Tim told him not to worry so much about it and money is gonna be coming in soon, so it's handled, but something in Darry told him he has to check the budget and make sure it fits everyone's needs with all the changes that have happened this year, with Dally getting shot, Johnny almost dying and having to watch with a cane for the rest of his life, Pony almost dying, Johnny killing a soc, and them all moving into the Curtis home.
Darry wants to just make sure everyone is okay, happy, healthy, and comfortable. It's his job. He has to make sure everything is gonna be paid for and taken care of.
“Believe me,” Darry says with a small smile, trying to make them calm down a little, his sleepy ice blue eyes are droopy, they slowly go to Two-Bit and Tim, so trying to add humor to what is going on, “this isn't the worst thing that you ever caught me doing?”
“Get up” Tim growls out, walking over to Darry, who stares at him through his reading glasses. He knows that Tim is grumpy and tired. Tim can't sleep without Darry and Two-Bit in the bed anymore, which isn't always the case. When they first moved in here he could sleep just fine, not caring if Darry came home late from work or got up in the middle of the night, not caring if Two went out drinking and came home late, but now, he can not fall asleep and stay asleep with both of his boys in the bed. He wakes up when either one of them leaves the bed.
Two watch the males stare at each other, they are both bullheaded and not wanting to back down. They are both bullheaded, not wanting to back down, so Two does the only thing that he knows will help, “Baby’s I wanna sleep, the bed is cold without you two.”
Two-Bit whines at the other two, who both look at him. He is in Tim’s sweatpants and Darry’s zip-up hoodie, he knows he looks like the aftermath of sex because he is. They had sex not even three hours ago because Two-Bit said he need to be taken care of, and they took care of him. So he adds a little “Please”, to try and make them listen.
Tim looks at Darry then back at Two-bit. He bites his lip and sighs, walking over to Two-Bit, grabbing him by the arm, making their way to their room, well said in a snarky tone, “I don’t know about you Darrel, but I’m gonna go lay down and fall asleep with our boyfriend. Join us when you feel like it”
Leaving Darry in the kitchen, alone. Darry knows that Tim isn't really mad at him, he is worried but he doesn't know how to show it in a good way, that is what they have been working on him communicating how he feels without yelling or getting mad.
He is only worried about Darry overworking himself because Darry doesn't see the fact that he has overworked himself, Two and Tim know he does and they take care of him.
“You know that you don't have to be mean to prove your point Timmy boy,” Two-Bit says, already laying in their bed, Two’s spout is in the middle, and Tim’s is by the wall. He is looking at Tim, who rolls over to Two-Bit.
“I wasn't being mean to him, I was telling him the truth, I expect you to know the difference, you know if it's too much brain power for you I understand.” Tim snaps at the younger boy, who stares at him.
“Yeah” Two growls out rolling to his side, “yeah your fucking right”
That's when Tim knows he fucked up when Two-Bit moved away from him. He has tried to touch him and go to say sorry but Two tells him no and Tim stopped trying to comfort him. That is something else that he has learned when you hurt someone's feelings sometimes they need space and then when they calm down a little you can say sorry and comfort them.
God, you are stupid, you really fucked up this time , that is the only thing that goes through his head when he hears Two-Bit starting to cry. His stomach dropped at the sound because it was his fault. He was the reason Two is crying and he can't do anything to stop it because he doesn't want to be touched right now.
They stay that way until Darry walks in, and he looks at his boyfriend, one is facing the wall, looking mad and his shoulders are tight, and the other has his back to the wall his shoulders are shaking, tears falling from his eyes.
Darry walks over to Two and lays down next to him, not touching him, not yet, when Two-Bit is upset, he has a thing with needing to be touched, he will touch you when he is ready, but when he touches you, you need to touch him back or he will cry more, and Darry gets as close as he can without touching him, “Kieth what’s wrong”
That's when Two lets out all the tears and breaks down, lets out the noise, and grabs Darry hugging him.
That made Tim’s heart stop, he did that. He made Two cries so hard that Darry needs to hug him and hold him to make him feel better and not him, himself. He sits up and looks over at the two huggings, and he wants to grab Two and tell him he's sorry but he has to wait for Two to be okay with him touching him.
“Kieth, baby, I-” Tim sighs and runs his hand through his black hair, he looks at Two-Bit who turns to him, he pats his lap and opens his arms to let the redhead in his arm, and Two-BIt flings himself on to Tim’s la, hugging him, in a way that like he is scared that he will go away.
Tim holds him in the same way, telling him he is here, that he isn't going away, he won't ever leave him.
They have all had a bad long week this week and Tim feels like he is making it worse but the way that Darry looks at him, he knows that he didn't, he just messed up. Tim and Curly have been fighting non-stop for the past week and he doesn't even remember why at this point.
But last night it got bad, it got really bad and he and Curly got into each other's faces, Curly pushed him into a wall and Tim hit him. Punched him in the face and his younger brother fell to the floor. Then all hell broke loose.
It got so bad that Tim was dragged off by Angel and she yelled at both of them before telling Ponyboy sweetly to please clean Curly off then yelled at Tim after she was done patching him up.
Which was kinda funny, having his little sister yelling at him like she was older and knew better, she scolded him like he just stole a cookie out of the cookie jar, but he kept quiet and listened to her.
With Two-Bit he has been struggling with himself and being good to himself. Two-Bit has always had a bad self-image and he forgets to take care of himself, and that's where Tim and Darry help him and take control over it and he lets them.
He likes being taken care of by them because they don't make him feel useless, they just make him feel better than he used to feel in these times.
Darry has been overworking himself, saying yes over time and covering people's shifts. This makes him come home late and forget to eat when he gets home because all he wants to do is lay down and go to sleep, or he won't drink enough water in which Tim and Two-Bit have to sit him down, make him eat a whole plate of food and drink a whole cup of water.
That's why Tim got mad at him, he hates seeing him overwork himself and not take care of himself, so he snapped at him and said what he said. He's just not taking care of himself and that scares Tim.
“I didn't mean to snap at you baby, I really didn't. You're smart, so smart, one of the smartest people I know. I swear on Curly and Angel's lives that you are so smart.” Tim mumbles in the younger one's hair and Two-Bit is sitting in his lap, he moves so his back is against the former gang leader's chest, who kisses the back of his head.
“It's not okay that you called me stupid,” Two-Bit says in a calm voice, Tim goes to say something but Two cut’s him off, “and I don’t like it but I do like that you said sorry, so if you kiss me I will maybe, just maybe, forgive you”
Tim smiles at the younger boy with the only thing Darry can call it pure happiness, and he moves Two’s head and kisses him like his life would end if he didn't kiss him. Two-Bit blushes, still, whenever it's him or Darry kissing him and they both love it.
When Tim pulls away Two smiles and says, “you are forgiven”
Tim laughs, throwing his head back with a smile, making the other two laugh with him, “Thank you handsome”
Tim looks over at Darry, motioning him to them, and Darry smiles. He curls himself around the black hair male, and put his arm around Two, “and I'm sorry about being mean to you handsome”
Darry nods and puts his head on Tim's shoulder, “I understand why you are worried,” Darry looks over at Two, “both of you I understand, and I thank you guys for that. I love you”
Two smiles and kisses him, then whispers, “I love you guys too”
Tim kisses Darry's cheek, “I love y'all as well”