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Darry and Pony were arguing again.
Soda heard it start while he was in the kitchen washing dishes. It started as bickering, but their voices got sharper and louder. Soda felt his shoulders rising. Unlike some of the others in the gang, he didn’t mind yelling. It was a running joke between him and Steve that Soda talked far too loudly for his own good. But it was different when it was his brothers.
They had promised Soda to argue less. No more fighting . It worked for a time, but Pony was still healing from Windrixville. He was feeling so many emotions and he didn’t know how to deal with them properly. And Darry… Well Soda knew how worried he was about Pony. Change takes time, he was still learning how to show it properly.
Soda had learned to tune out the contents of their arguments, but it was next to impossible to ignore the voices shouting. Soda clenched his teeth together as he put away the final pot. Hearing his brothers arguing made him want to scream, it made him want to rip his hair out.
So Soda did the only thing he could think of to get rid of the feeling in his bones. He took a leaf out of Pony’s book and walked right out the front door. His brothers in the living room didn’t notice, too caught up in their argument.
He didn’t know where he was going, he just shoved his hands deep into his pockets and stalked down the street.
“Ey, Pepsi!” He looked up to see Steve sauntering towards him with his typical swagger. “What are you doin’ out this late?” Steve picked up into a light jog to reach his side and then fell in step beside him.
“Just needed to take a walk,” Soda said softly. He kept his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him.
Steve looked at him strangely. Soda knew Steve wasn’t naturally the most affectionate guy, but he still reached out and put a hand on Soda’s shoulder. He leaned into the touch with a sigh, “Dar and Pony are arguing again. I just didn’t want to hear it any more.”
Steve nodded, keeping his hand on Soda. The two of them walk for a little while, just meandering down the street. Steve moved his arm to be slung around Soda’s shoulders, giving him a squeeze into his side.
Soda smiled, “What’re you doin’ out so late?”
Steve sighed, “My old man got sick of me. Didn’t even say why, just told me to get my ass out.” His voice was thick with exhaustion. It had been happening more and more lately, Soda would wake up to find Steve on the couch.
“I’m sorry,” Soda said. A sick feeling grew in his stomach. Here he was, complaining about his brothers arguing while Steve got kicked out again. “You gonna crash with us?”
“Y’alls couch is the most comfortable bed in Tulsa, didn't cha know?” Steve gave him a light shove as he flicked on his lighter to ignite his cigarette. He took a long drag and then blew smoke in Soda’s face. That was enough to break Soda out of his stupor, reaching out to swat Steve on the back of the head.
Of course that meant Steve jumped at him in retaliation. It only took a few moments of roughhousing in the middle of the street for Soda to start laughing. He wrapped Steve in a headlock, waiting for him to tap out before dumping him on the asphalt.
Steve gave him a look, “You made me drop my cigarette.”
Soda rolled his eyes and reached down to help Steve to his feet, “Maybe that’ll teach ya not to smoke.”
Steve grinned. “You ready to head back home?”
Soda swallowed thickly, “Yeah.”
Internally he thought that it didn’t really matter. Darry and Pony probably didn’t notice him leaving. In all reality, Pony was now sulking in his room and Darry was making himself busy to avoid thinking about it.
As they walked back to the house, Steve and Soda chartered absently about work and the car they needed to fix the next day. It was enough to calm the thoughts zipping through Soda’s mind. Steve was good at that. Sometimes there was so much noise in Soda’s head, his brothers and Steve could always make it quieter.
Back at the house, Soda couldn’t hear any shouting inside. He and Steve exchanged a look. Soda took a deep breath and bounded up the stairs.
Before the door even shut behind them, Sodapop had an armful of his little brother.
Pony clung to his waist and squeezed him a little too tight. Soda hugged him back on instinct. “I’m sorry,” Pony said quickly, almost stumbling over his words. “I’m sorry we were fighting. It was stupid.”
Darry appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, his brow furrowed in a hard line. His gaze met Soda’s over Pony’s head. In the single glance, Soda could see the regret and guilt in his big brother’s eyes. Soda leaned his head on Pony’s, “It’s okay, baby. Just needed to take a break. I’m not mad atcha.” He looked at Darry again, “Neither of ya.”
Soda kissed Pony’s head and pulled back. He kept a hand on Pony’s head as he steered him further inside.
Steve rounded them and jumped onto the couch, kicking his shoes off. “Want some dinner, Randle?” Darry asked with a laugh in his voice.
“You do room service?” Steve asked cheekily as he stretched out.
Darry snorted, “Yeah right. I’ll stick something into the microwave.”
As he disappeared back into the kitchen, Soda kissed Pony’s head one more time, “I’ll be right back.” And he followed Darry into the kitchen.
Darry was fussing around in the fridge, pouring leftovers onto a plate and covering it. Soda just watched him for a moment. Darry just straightened up with a sigh, “I don’t need to talk about it.”
Soda scoffed. He leaned against the counter beside Darry. “When did y’all notice I was gone?”
Darry swallowed thickly, his hands clenching and unclenching. “Pony went back to his room. I-I came in here to apologize to you and you were gone.” His lips were pressed tightly together as though he was trying to keep any emotion from coming out. “I got…” He sighed, “Pepsi, I got real nervous.”
Soda couldn’t resist hugging his big brother then. Darry had been more anxious after everything that happened. He’d been pretty good at hiding it, but Soda could tell. He got a little shaky, a little more overbearing when he didn’t know where his brothers were. And he seemed like he’d start crying with relief when they were home again.
Soda squeezed Darry just like how Pony held him earlier. Darry sighed and wrapped his arms around Soda. One of his hands raised to the back of Soda’s head. “Why does everyone in this family like running so damn much?” Darry asked.
Soda laughed against his shoulder. The two of them pulled back as the microwave beeped. Darry sighed again and pulled the plate out, shouting for Steve to come get his plate. Darry squeezed the back of Soda’s neck, “You’re a good kid. I don’t think I tell ya that enough.”
Soda preened under the praise. Pony leaned around the corner into the kitchen as Steve meandered to get his food. Pony walked over to Darry, looking up at him, “Sorry.”
Darry ruffled Pony’s hair, “Me too, honey. You want anything to eat?”
“Nah.” Pony reached out and dug his finger through the mashed potatoes on Steve’s plante. He shoved it into his mouth and sprinted out of the room as Steve shouted after him. Soda laughed, leaning against Darry.
“They’ll kill each other eventually,” Darry chuckled. “You should probably go save Pony.”
Soda grinned. He patted Darry’s shoulder before running after the other boys.