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Ponyboy hissed, his head flinching away from the wet rag that Sodapop was trying, and failing, to press the cold rag against a forming bruise on Ponyboy's jaw. He'd gotten jumped, again. It was only luck that Two-Bit and Dally just happened to be nearby when it had started.
Supposedly.
Ponyboy didn't believe for a moment that they just happened to be in the area, especially since Steve also happened to be nearby. Just from the opposite direction.
Was he aware that the gang had become a little more… protective of him and Johnny. Could Ponyboy take care of himself? Absolutely. Ponyboy could fight just as good as anyone else in the gang despite his age. It annoyed him just as much as it made him feel… Ponyboy wasn't sure how he felt, about the gang's protectiveness.
"Hold still, honey." Sodapop uttered quietly, an expression of apology on his face. "Sorry, I know." His voice was a little quieter that time. He put one hand on the other side of Ponyboy's head, holding his jaw in a deceptively kind gesture. Well, it was a kind gesture, but it was only there at the moment to stop Ponyboy's head from jerking when he pressed the rag against the bruise.
Ponyboy hissed again, wanting to jerk his head again but he was unable to move his head. Sodapop made a humming like noise as he gently rubbed over the spot.
"You got a cut here, Pony." Sodapop informed him.
"Again?" Ponyboy asked, sighing in frustration as he glared at the wall just past Sodapop. Darry was going to be home soon, and the rest of the gang had all dispersed once Ponyboy was home safe.
Everyone but Johnny at least.
Johnny was curled up on the couch with a sketchbook on his lap and pretending like he wasn't listening in on Ponyboy and Sodapop. His wheelchair was carefully moved to beside the couch, out of the way of everyone else, but still completely accessible to Johnny.
"You got to stop antagonizing people, Pony. Especially if they are carrying blades regularly now." Sodapop sighed. Ponyboy ignored the irritation that bubbled up, though he could feel Sodapop hesitate before he moved to finish cleaning Ponyboy up. "Honey?"
"I don't…" Ponyboy stopped himself, hearing the bite in his voice be a little too much. "I don't antagonize them, Soda. I was minding my own business and they jumped me for now reason. I don't even know who they were." Dally had wanted to know who they were, and Steve had been more pressed on what Ponyboy had done to them.
"Do you think they were from school?" Sodapop asked. Ponyboy shrugged, another sigh as Sodapop stepped back. "Well, there not much I can do now. Go take a shower and I'll clean up out here."
"Can I help with dinner?" Johnny called from the living room, and Ponyboy smiled as Sodapop brightened. They were all happy whenever Johnny raised his voice and asked questions, no matter what kind of question.
"Of course, Johnnycakes!" Sodapop responded. He sounded so much happier when he said it too. Ponyboy pushed off of the kitchen table, accepting the first aid kit to put back into the bathroom. He needed a shower before Darry got home. If at least to wash all the dirt off.
He listened to Sodapop helping Johnny to his wheelchair with a feeling of warmth in his chest.
"So…" Two-Bit hummed as his eyes landed on the group of Socs that had jumped Ponyboy a few days prior. Beside him, Dally made a noise of recognition. Steve had left already, having picked up someone's shift at work, with a comment about seeing them later at the Curtis house. He would hate to have missed getting a little bit of revenge for their group's youngest… "Got any plans?"
Dally made a hum of consideration. Two-Bit didn't glance in his direction. Just waiting for when Dally made a decision on whatever he was thinking about.
"I got a few." Two-Bit glanced towards Dally then, a tilt of his head with a smirk and raised eyebrow.
"Only a few?"
"I don't want to have to actually try to make this up to Steve." Two-Bit laughed lightly, nodding his head.
"I'm following your lead, Winston."
"Good."
"What happened to you two?" Ponyboy asked, sounding vaugely confused and just the slightest bit hesitant. "Looks like you've been in a fight… and lost." There was a noise of offense, though no one quite knew who it had come from… it very well could have come from both Dally and Two-Bit.
"Well, little buddy." Dally pulled Ponyboy against him, making a fist and rubbing it against Ponyboy's head, much to the youngest's charge-in. "We didn't lose, for one." Two-Bit laughed as Sodapop watched them with curious eyes, he very clearly wanted to know whatever the two of them had gotten up to.
"But you did get into a fight?" Sodapop asked, tilting his head in interest. His eyes had turned critical, most likely trying to figure out why they'd gotten into a fight. Two-Bit only smiled at him innocently from where he'd made his way to sit on the couch. He wasn't bloody, so Sodapop didn't utter a word of Two-Bit's placement.
Dally on the other hand, was not wanting to just let go of the fact that Ponyboy had said they looked like they had lost. The two of them ended up wrestling in the middle of the living room, much to the amusement of some of the gang.
"What did happen?" Johnny asked quietly, and when Two-Bit looked, he found that their second youngest was staring at him with a tilted head. Two-Bit smiled, a faux innocence radiating from him.
"Nothing that can be proven. So don't you worry about it Johnnycakes." Two-Bit winked at Johnny as Ponyboy seemingly won the short wrestling match. Johnny snorted lightly, shaking his head as he looked towards Ponyboy and Dally, the latter of whom was breathing a little heavy.
"You guys are explaining to Darry why you all are bruised to high hell and back!" Sodapop told them, before moving towards the kitchen.
"Do you need help with dinner?" Ponyboy jumped up and followed after his brother, not waiting for an answer.
Dally and Two-Bit glanced at each other, eyes wide as they processed what Sodapop had meant. Johnny laughed at the two of them, relaxing as Ponyboy came back momentarily with a glass of water for him and two coke's, one for Two-Bit and the other for Dally, before moving back into the Kitchen.