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A scream sounded through the house, one of fright and anguish that had Darry jumping from his bed and rushing through the house towards Ponyboy's room. His eyes wide as his heart raced in his chest from just how scared Ponyboy sounded. Darry was almost certain that the nightmares that Ponyboy couldn't remember were back in, nearly, full force.
It wouldn't surprise him in the least.
He remembered Sodapop and Ponyboy talking about his nightmares before Sodapop enlisted, had remembered that they had started sleeping in separate rooms again for several months in advance in preparation. Ponyboy's nightmares had been manageable, once a week was nothing compared to every night.
But now they were back in full swing, every other night and always with a blood curdling scream that always had Darry's heart racing in his chest.
"Ponyboy, baby, hey," Darry was in Ponyboy's room now, eyes wide as they searched for his kid brother. He spotted him quickly, wincing at the sight of Ponyboy sprawled out on the floor, tangled up in a blanket and crying quietly as he tried to claw his way out of the restraints.
Ponyboy sobbed as he turned towards where he'd heard Darry, an improvement to last month. Darry's voice causing more fear for his kid brother had hurt more than Darry could ever put into words… but it also showed how far he and Ponyboy had come.
"Hey Little Colt, come 'ere." Darry was slow and purposeful with his movements, crouching down nearby but not close enough to Ponyboy for the other to feel trapped. Sodapop had once explained that Ponyboy was like a cornered and injured animal after severe nightmares.
Slow movements were best, and so was waiting until he came to you.
Ponyboy was quick to throw himself into Darry's side, and Darry was quick to untangle the blanket that was wrapped so tightly around Ponyboy's legs. How he always managed to do that, Darry had yet to figure out.
"There we go, I got you." Darry uttered, wrapping his arms around Ponyboy after he was done, gently rocking the two of them as Ponyboy cried. Sodapop didn't have much advice for comforting Ponyboy after a nightmare.
Sometimes it bummed Darry that Sodapop was a natural comfort to Ponyboy. Other times it was the biggest relief. At least one of them had been there for their youngest during the months where Darry struggled to balance the life between a guardian and a brother.
"Dar-Darry-" Ponyboy wasn't quite breathing right, he was gasping and it sounded like Ponyboy was wheezing too.
"Hey, come on, let's take a deep breath. Don't think about your nightmare, just think about breathing, yeah?" Darry didn't know what he was really saying, just that he knew he just had to get Ponyboy's breathing semi-regular, or this could go from bad to worse. "In with me, okay? In… two… three… hold… two… three… out… two… three…"
Darry was mimicking the exercise that he could vividly remember their father doing with Ponyboy during times when Ponyboy would stop breathing when he was really little. He remembered that it worked pretty well, and he was relieved that it obviously still did.
Ponyboy was quick to latch onto the exercise and he was pretty soon breathing in deeper. "In… two… three.. four.. five… hold… two… three.. out… two.. three.. four… five…" Darry was still continuing to count, even though by now Ponyboy was at least aware enough to do the exercise on his own.
Darry could tell that Ponyboy was calming down by how he had shifted in Darry's grasp, placing his head in a spot that Darry knew would let Ponyboy hear his heartbeat. His arms were also around Darry's arm, and he was curled up in a ball against Darry instead of desperately clinging to Darry like an octopus.
Eventually Darry's voice filtered out of the room, letting the silence fill it up instead as Ponyboy continued to carefully breathe through the exercise. They sat that way for nearly an hour before Ponyboy shifted.
"Darry?"
"Yeah, Little Colt?" Ponyboy shoved at Darry's arm in playful annoyance. Darry laughed, "Sorry, sorry. What's up, Pone?" Ponyboy stayed silent for a few minutes before sighing.
"Can we read Soda's last letter again?" His voice was quiet, almost quiet enough for Darry to be unable to hear him. But the room was too quiet and Darry was too focused on Ponyboy for the other to go unheard.
Hey guys! I hope everything's going good over there, cause I think I might just go insane if not. Steve and I had a pretty close call and I just need the reassurance that the two of you are okay. I know, probably weird that I'm making sure the both of you are taking care of each other when I'm the one who nearly died. And taking Two-Bit when he's around, how is he by the way, he hasn't yet returned the last letter I sent him… Don't tell me he's in the cooler.
Steve's grumbling about a letter Dally sent him, it's been a full week so something must have been said. Does Ponyboy know what could have possibly been said? Steve won't tell me, and I'm pretty sure he burned the letter after reading it as many times as he did.
How's Johnny been? His folks aren't being too bad are they? Where's Johnny staying at? Been wanting to write to him but I don't know where to send the letter other than home.
I miss home more and more everyday. I miss the DX and hearing Steve cuss out Soc cars and engines, I miss the breakdowns from what the Greaser's came in with to get fixed… I miss how easy the rumbles seemed, though I don't think I could stomach being in one again. I mis chocolate cake and hearing the two of you bicker over Ponyboy's homework.
Also, ignore anything Steve may right, he's a liar and he over exagerates everything. I swear he does!
Well, I don't have much more to say… More things are coming to us that I can't talk about, but just know that I'm working on coming home every day.
Say hey to the gang for me, send them my love and well wishes.
love, Soda
PS. Soda is a fucking liar. Just a "close call" my ass, Soda nearly died. Fucking fucker. He's okay though, he's too damn stubborn to die. Something about how you guys need to stick together or some shit. Hope to God he doesn't read this before sending this letter, he'd hate to worry you, and he can't exactly rip this piece off without that drawing he drew for Pony getting ripped up.
Darry, you need to kick Soda's ass when we get home. Too many damn close calls with fucking bombs and shit. He takes too many risks and I fully blame Two-Bit, I will be kicking his ass when I get home, and I'm dragging Soda back to watch. Also, Pony, shut your damn mouth about what Dally wrote me, you hear? Or I'll kick your ass too.
Steve
Darry hummed, glancing down with a small note of surprise. Ponyboy wasn't one to fall asleep next to Darry, never mind on top of him. But when Darry had gotten done reading Sodapop's, and a bit of Steve's, letter for the second time that night, Ponyboy was out cold on top of him.
Darry was curious as to what Dally, and Ponyboy apparently, could possibly know about Steve that would have him this up in arms about it. Darry knew that Dally only wrote Steve about once a month, if that at all. Two-Bit was probably twice a month if he wasn't too busy with Marcia.
But those were all thoughts for a different day, probably tomorrow seeing as Ponyboy preferred writing Sodapop at least once a week at the very least. He had yet to actually sit and write out a response, and neither had Darry despite the letter coming in nearly three days ago.
He sighed, carefully setting the letter on the stand next to his chair, carefully putting Ponyboy's theme on top of it to cover it up a little bit. He had to get Ponyboy back to bed.
Darry had work tomorrow and Ponyboy had school.
But if Darry carried Ponyboy to his room, letting the two of them cuddle for the night to starve off any more nightmares that tried to show their faces… Well, that was for Darry to know. And Ponyboy if he thought about it long enough.