Work Text:
No one knew why this had happened but it had.
The gang was all settled into the living room, a few playing poker while the rest listened to the game or talked amongst themselves.
Darry had recently bought a new bedside table and had forgotten to throw out the cardboard box it had came in.
Pony started painting the outside of it- painting a sunset landscape as he had run out of sketchbook paper and wanted to practice painting.
But the moment he had stopped painting and nobody was looking, Johnny had stepped into the box and sat down, only some of his hair poking out the top.
Pony came back with his newly cleaned brushes and broke into a fit of giggles after noticing the situation. The others who were unaware, noticed Johnny in the box and joined in on the laughter.
Johnny laughed too, it was quite funny but he strangely found himself comfortable. It seemed safe, with all four walls touching him instead of the usual one wall he'd hide against.
It felt so secure and nice, at least it did until Dally had taped the top and he was stuck inside, suddenly becoming very claustrophobic. "I WONT BE ABLE TO BREATH!! WAIT!" He immediately started to yell but calmed down once dots of light appeared on the side of the box.
Pony had Poked holes into the box as if Johnny was a hamster in a cardboard box. Dally looked through one hole that he made bigger by stabbing his finger in and Johnny could tell he was smiling from his eyes squinting a bit.
"Comfortable? You went into a box like stray cats do.. you want some cat food? Tuna?" He cackled, then turned away from the box and Johnny could faintly hear him asking Darry if they had any tuna.
"Let him out Dallas." Darry had told Dally who had run off to the kitchen, taking that answer as "Yes we have tuna but I'm not gonna say it."
Johnny found himself hitting his head with his palm, what a pain in the ass Dally is gonna make himself to be.
Ponyboy was the next one to look through a hole but wasn't smiling like Dally was. "You want out?" He whispered so the meanest of the gang wouldn't hear.
Johnny thought for a second and nodded, realised that Pony wouldn't see that and gave a verbal yes.
Pony scurried off and soon enough the box was torn apart and Johnny fell on his back since he was leaning on the box the whole time.
Dally just came back from the kitchen, muttering something about no tuna and then saw Johnny on the ground, a scared Ponyboy and a furious Darry with paint on his hands from the cardboard he had torn apart.
"Ohhh you're in trouble now." Steve laughed, to either Soda or Dally as he put his winning card down.
And Oh boy, they were.