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After they got the phone call, Soda felt his blood run ice cold. Before Darry was even done speaking, he was out of the door.
He was worried sick about Ponyboy, of course he was, but Dallas was going to die. This was a fact. Pony would most likely be okay. At least, that’s how he justified it. Johnny- he couldn’t think about Johnny and keep running.
Suddenly he was aware that his faithful feet had carried him to the lot, and he could see Dally coming up over the hill. His lungs were screaming- he’d never run this hard in his life- but he had to get to Dally.
He was nearly there, nearly there-
He reached his body as he raised the heater and the first trigger was pulled.
He thought that he was screaming, he thinks they both were as icy blue eyes met his own in terror. Someone else was screaming his name as pain bloomed in his shoulder and Dally’s shirt was covered in red blossoms.
He saw bloodied white blonde hair fanned out like an angel’s halo like he had a million times in the early mornings, and blacked out as someone grabbed his injured shoulder.
__________________________
He came to in a harsh white room. He sluggishly tried to cover up his eyes, only to feel a pinch and a tug in his hand. “Oww…” He slurred.
“You’re awake.” An exhausted voice said in relief. “We were worried you’d go comatose, Pepsi-Cola.”
He blinked slowly at the figure next to him. “Darry?”
A smile came to his brother’s face. “That’s me, hun. Pone is resting. He was in a bit of a bad way for a bit, but he’s okay.”
Soda felt his throat tighten. “Dally?”
A long pause, and Soda felt his heart drop. No. Please no.
“He’s… alive. But we don’t know what all he’s being charged with. He’s still knocked out anyway.” Darry took Soda’s hand into his.
“Sodapop.. How did you know?” He asked softly, like saying it any louder would spook him like a horse. Darry never used that voice before.
“Know what, Dar? That he was gonna get shot? Yeah, I did, because that boy is reckless. Of course he was gonna do somethin stupid after poor Johnny-” He voice caught. Oh God. Johnny.
Darry’s eyes widened for a brief second, which was still far more emotion than Soda was used to. “What?”
“Johnny’s okay. They resuscitated him.”
Soda felt a weight lift from his chest. “Oh thank God. I don’t think Pony could cope if he died.”
Darry frowned. “I love Johnny like he’s my kid brother, but you’re my actual kid brother Soda, and right now I’m a bit more concerned about you running in front of cops with guns.” Soda winced.
“Dar-”
“Don't you think about sassing me, Sodapop Curtis. You know what those damn doctors told me? Huh?” Soda shook his head, wincing at how stiff his neck was.
“They said that if you hadn’t got to Dal, that bullet woulda pierced his goddamn heart. They said you’ll be lucky if you can still use your arm.” Soda must be on some powerful meds, because he hadn’t thought about his shoulder up until that moment.
“Oh.” He said dumbly. Dally was okay. Dally would be okay, because he had been fast enough. An arm was nothing compared to a future without Dallas Winston, and when he finally woke up, Soda was gonna make that crystal fucking clear.
“Soda!” His attention snapped back to Darrell. Oh these were some good meds.”Sorry.” He murmured, his eyes feeling heavy. Darry sighed and ruffled his hair. “If you’re tired, go to sleep, kiddo. We can talk later.”
He shut his eyes, and sleep quickly overtook him.
He drifted awake to a doctor jostling him.
“Look who’s back in the land of the living!” Soda instantly disliked him. Maybe he was just grumpy at being woken up, maybe Dally was rubbing off on him. “Lo.” He said groggily.
The doctor asked him a few questions that he apparently answered well enough for them to take the damn IV out of his arm. They told him he could be discharged the next day, once they’d run a few tests and…yadda yadda, he tuned out.
Finally, they left, and Steve, Two-Bit, Darry, and Ponyboy filtered in. “Soda!” Pony exclaimed, rushing to his bed and hugging him tightly. He grimaced, but he could bear it. The poor kid was having a rough…how long had it been?
“Heya hun. Heya fellas.” Two waved at him, and Steve frowned. “Never do that again, okay asshole? Had us worried.” Soda couldn’t help the grin on his face. “Aw you love me, Steve.” Steve cracked a grin. “Shuddup. Do not.”
They talked for a while, but the conversation was grating. He was still so worried about Johnny and Dally, but they seemed determined to keep off of that topic. When Two finally announced he was hitting the bricks, Soda gently shooed Steve off too. “You probably have work tomorrow. Go sleep.”
“How’s Dally and Johnny?” He asked as soon as the door shut.
Pony’s face lit up. “Johnny’s awake again. We've been talking and I finished reading that book to him. When Dally wakes up for long nuff, we’re gonna watch a sunrise n a sunset.”
He smiled, relieved. “Dal’s woken up some?”
Pony’s grin slipped a bit. “Mostly to cuss at the docs. And cry. He doesn’t know Johnny’s okay. Or you. He- he thinks you’re dead.”
Soda chewed on his lip. “Well fuck.”
Pony barked out a laugh as Darry frowned disapprovingly. He let it slide, he was more focused on Soda being awake. “You know, Soda… The cops ain’t too happy about you jumping in. They ain’t pressing you for anything, but absolutely no funny business when you get discharged. CPS is breathing down my neck.”
That sobered up Soda real fast. “I hear ya, Darry. ‘M sorry.”
He knew he’d do it again. But he was sorry about the fuzz sniffing at their door.
__________________________
Once he was cleared to walk, he went to visit Johnny.
He seemed so, so small in that bed, his skin a sickly color, but there was more life in his eyes than when he last saw him.
“Heya kid. How’s it going?”
“Soda! It’s…okay. I guess. Better than dead. That’s what Pony’s been tellin me.” Soda eased into a chair. “Well, yeah. I prefer you breathing, hun.”
“The- The doc said I ain’t ever gonna walk again.” Johnny said shakily, and Soda felt his heart break. “Oh hun. You know the gang’ll take care of you, right? Walking or no walking.”
Johnny sniffed. “I ain’t going back to my parents house. My pops would kill me.” Soda scoffed bitterly. “I’ll grab anything you need outta there, kay? Dar wouldn’t mind you moving in anyhow. Been meaning to ask.”
Johnny was quiet for a bit. “C’mon Soda, you guys are struggling as is. I don’t wanna-” Soda hushed him gently. “You ain’t a burden Johnnycakes. You’re gang. Family.”
Johnny didn’t say anything for a long while, just pretended to be tuff. As if Soda couldn’t see his shoulders shaking and the salty tears on the pristine hospital floor.
Just as he was about to stand up, Johnny piped up again.
“...did Dallas try to kill himself?”
Soda’s breath stuttered.
“...yeah. He did.”
Johnny hummed, sad, but unsurprised. “And you stopped him? Is that why your shoulder’s busted?”
“Yeah.”
“...Thank you, Soda. You’re a good guy.”
Soda huffed a gentle laugh. “Thanks, Johnny. I’ll let Pony in. Bet he’s dyin to see ya.”
He could feel Johnny’s grin when he left.
________________________
Dallas was awake.
Kicking, screaming, fighting doctors, but in this case, that was a good thing. After his initial freakout, he’d stayed awake.
Soda didn’t know what to say. He had a cop outside his door, saying they’d only allow in one visitor at a time.
The gang all glanced at each other, before Steve gently tapped his uninjured shoulder. “You saved his fuckin life man. Think you should see him first, tell him the good news.” The others agreed, and he gave them a nervous smile before facing the door.
He glanced hatefully at the cop , sliding the door open when he received a nod.
Here goes nothing.
_______________________
Dallas Winston did not do hospitals. They were almost worse than jail, people poking and prodding like he was some kinda cow. It was better if he gnashed his teeth and got them to fuck off as soon as possible.
So he sat there. Alone.
He remembered how Sodapop looked covered in his blood. He remembered how Johnny looked, limp and lifeless. He remembered his mother's brains on the wall.-
There was someone new outside his door. Not a cop.
One of the gang.
The door slid open, and Dally looked away, suddenly very interested in the numbers on his heart rate monitor.
The person sat down in the chair wordlessly after sliding the door shut behind them.
After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Dallas snapped. “You just gonna sit there, or you got something to say?”
He heard a weak laugh that his ears couldn’t comprehend.
“I dunno what to say, Dallas. I really don’t.”
Dally snapped his head to the chair. “Soda, what the fuck?”
Soda rubbed his face with one hand. The other was in a sling.
“I know why you did it. Trust me, I know.” Soda said weakly. “But. You- you know I love you, Dallas.”
“Don’t say that.” He spat, faltering when Soda’s face crumpled further.
“I know that you’re hurting Dal, but we all are, okay? Fuck, you don’t even know yet. Johnny’s fine. He- he’s alive, is more accurate. He-”
He was going to lose it. “Spit it out Soda.”
A look of fury crossed over Soda’s face, wholly foreign on his features. “The kid’s beat up cuz he ain’t gonna walk again. But don’t you dare take that tone with me right now Dallas Winston because I’m trying my damn best to keep it together right now.”
Unfortunately, Dally didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut.
“You’re trying to keep it together? What are you so worked up about?”
“You, you idiot! You tried to kill yourself for fuck’s sake! If I hadn’t got there in time, you’d be lying in a grave and I’d be without you. You ever think about that?”
Soda’s voice was raised, but not in a shout. Never in a shout.
The hood was taken aback to say the least. “Me? You have your own to take care of, I didn’t ask-”
Soda stood up, and gently fisted the front of his hospital gown.
“Don't you ever- i mean ever- say that you aren’t important, Dallas. I love you. So much. Okay? I was worried sick.”
He licked his lips nervously, looking anywhere but Dally’s face. “You have to come home now, okay? To Johnny, to Ponyboy, to me, alright? Promise me, Dallas.”
Dal was stunned. But he couldn’t bring himself to fight anymore. It had been drained out of him when he looked into those teary brown eyes. “Okay. Okay Sodapop. I’ll come home.”
He gently pulled him down into a hug. He could feel Soda shifting his weight so he wouldn’t put pressure on his wounds and wanted to cry and slap him silly at the same time. He felt the first hiccup before he heard it.
“Aw Soda, don’t cry. I won’t do this again, okay? ‘m gonna come home, just gotta do some time. Heard from the cop it won't be too long.”
Soda laughed wetly, the laugh catching on a sob. “Thought you were dead. Thought I was too late.”
Dallas gripped him tighter. “I…I thought you were dead too. Glad you’re not.”
He choked on the words he desperately wanted to say. He could tell Soda felt it.
“I know hun. You ain’t gotta if it’s hard right now.” He leaned up to look in his eyes. “Love you, doll.”
Dallas scoffed. “Told you not to call me that shit.”
Soda grinned, wide and genuine. ‘There you are,’ Dallas thought.
“Aw, you’re blushing. ‘m gonna let the others have a turn, kay? I’ll be back, promise.”
Dallas let him get off mostly before feeling determined. ‘Fuck it.’
He pulled him into a gentle kiss, gentler than they had shared before.
‘I love you.’ He mouthed against his lips, tenderly cupping his jaw before letting his fingers slip away.
Soda flushed dark red, looking as embarrassed as he was feeling, and pressed a kiss against his forehead. “Bye Dal. Thanks.”
Their touch lingered against skin as they pulled away, a promise for later.
____________________
The others didn’t say anything when he walked out, accounting his flushed face to the fact he looked like he’d been crying.
Darry went in next, Soda taking his spot next to Ponyboy.
“...Didn’t know you guys were that close.” Pony stated, but it sounded more like a question than anything, like he knew something but wasn’t sure what.
Soda shrugged, grimacing at the pain that shot through his shoulder when he did so. “I guess. We’re all family, ain’t we?”
Pony hummed suspiciously. “I guess.”
There was a beat, and Pony spoke again.
“Dally’s a good guy. He’ll be alright, Sodapop.”
Soda glanced at his brother in surprise, but Pony’s face gave nothing away. He sighed. “Yeah. He will be.”
____________________
The next day, Soda came back to the hospital with Ponyboy in tow, who left to see Johnny. Before he walked into Dally’s room, a nurse stopped him. “He’s really upset right now, sweetie. You may want to give him a second.”
Soda nodded, but still went inside. He figured it’d be different with him.
Dallas was curled up as much as he could be, face red like he’d been yelling or crying. Knowing him, it was likely the former.
“Dal…? What’s wrong?” He didn’t look up. “...they dropped most of the charges. I only have 3 months.” Soda was happy for a brief second before sitting in the chair.
“Alright…why are you upset?” He asked, tapping his foot absently.
Dallas laughed, a rough, gravelly sound. “Johnny’s still getting charged with manslaughter when he did nothing wrong. I wanted to do what I did.”
Oh. That made sense. “Dal. Have you talked to Johnny? I love the kid, so… no offense to him. But any jury that sees him is gonna feel bad for the kid. He’ll get off easy, I promise you.”
Dallas swallowed hard. “Even if he gets off easy. Even if he gets just a week in prison. I can’t protect him. If- if he can’t walk, he can’t even protect himself. What if someone hurts him?”
Soda placed a hand on his. “Dallas…”
He pulled back. “Damn it Soda, you don’t know what guys do to kids in there. You don’t know how they-” He winced as he breathed too harshly, tugging on his stitches.
Soda waited for him to calm down before speaking. “Hun… I’ve… kinda put it together. I know you’re worried. But there is nothing we can do. I know. And I hate it, but fuck Dal. Chances are, he may even get put in solitary, which sucks, really sucks, but he’d at least be safe, yeah?”
Dally mulled his words over. Soda was right, he always was, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.
“...you know?”
Soda squeezed his hand. “...yeah. You… Said some things when you were drunk before.”
Dallas laughed bitterly. Of course he did. “Oh yeah? Then why the fuck are you sticking around? I can’t get it up, and you sure as hell ain’t sticking it anywhere.”
He looked at Soda.
Who stared back, looking hurt, but was obviously swallowing it. “Dal, I would never force you to do anything. We don’t need sex to be happy. Okay?”
The blonde scoffed, clearly not believing him. “Please. Everyone’s got ‘needs’ or whatever-”
“Whatever ‘needs’ I have can be solved with my own two hands.” Soda said firmly.
Dallas looked at him for a long while before smiling and flopping back on the bed. “You’re a weird one, Curtis.”
Soda finally cracked a smile. “That’s why you like me.”
Dallas rubbed his face with his hands. “Fuck.” He whispered, his voice cracking.
Soda held out his hand and he took it without putting up a fight, gripping it tightly, clinging to whatever comfort he could get.
“He’ll be okay, hun. I promise.”
Dally didn’t know how he could promise something like that, but he chose to believe him for now. He was just so tired.
__________________________
When Johnny was well enough to get into a wheelchair, he was shipped to court.
Sure enough, Soda was right.
Johnny was relieved of all charges on self-defense. The jury came to the conclusion that a boy who was paralyzed while trying to save children from a fire would not kill maliciously.
The Socs were outraged, but the Curtis gang couldn’t find the fight in them at that moment. The ‘gang pet’ was going to be okay.
Soda helped Ponyboy drag a disgruntled Dally to the hospital roof alongside Johnny.
“This is stupid.” Dallas insisted, but he would stay anyways, the way Johnny was looking at him.
The sun was going down, the sky painted in pinks, purples, and golds. Everything was quiet except for the rustle of the leaves in the trees, and Soda stared at the sky in wonder. Was this why Pony was always going on about sunsets?
The sun was a brilliant red haze, the glow reflecting off Soda’s face. The colors glinted off of his honey brown eyes, the light catching his skin just right to show off the tiny freckles dotting his face.
Johnny nudged him gently. “Pretty, ain’t it Dal?”
Dallas smiled to himself, looking away from the boy and back up at the sky. “Yeah. You could say that, kid.”
They watched it go down, and Dally found himself wanting so desperately for the moment to last forever. It was night, now. The colors were gone from the sky.
“...it’s over?” He said, feeling like a child when the words left his mouth. Ponyboy just smiled at him. “...nothing gold can stay. Not forever. It can change, and evolve, but it won’t be the same. It’s just…different. Not any less good.”
He laughed awkwardly, color flooding his cheeks. “If- if that even makes any sense.”
Dally just patted his shoulder. “Y’know what? You’re alright, kid.”
Ponyboy beamed at him, and Dallas ruffled his hair. “Don’t get too cocky.”
Johnny smiled. “You’re gonna stay gold, Ponyboy. You’re too good to change that much.”
Dally found it amusing when the poor kid teared up but wiped it away just as quickly. He was still gold, even after everything. Both of them were.
He looked over at Soda, who was looking in awe at the stars.
He would do whatever it took to keep the bit of gold he had left in his life.
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