Work Text:
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(Ponyboy Curtis —> Curly Shepard)
Curls <3: pony
pony
ponybaby where r uuuuu
Ponybaby <3: Ok ok I’m back.
Curly <3: FINALLY i missed u 😭🤭
Ponybaby <3: You better be bleeding out on the ground because I stopped my essay for this.
Curly <3: wow u like me so much dont u
Ponybaby <3: Yes, I do dw.
But Curly
I was reaching flow state on this essay.
Where are the wounds?????
Curly <3: im sorry i missed my boyfriend who’s just to smart to hang out with his lowly hood boyfriend who really misses him
did i mention i miss you
please pone im showing emotions for u 😭💔🥀
Ponybaby <3: Ok ok give me a second. I’m going to show this to Soda so maybe he won’t hit you with a broom next time you try and come inside.
Curly <3: yayyyyy 😝
did u know its been like four whole days since u and I have hung out
and no this doesnt mean just alone u havent come to jays or just out with me or any of the gang in a week
mark and scout had this whole plan to break u out tha u probably didnt see even tho its IN THE GROUP CHAT THAT U R IN since you NEVER check ur phone anymore
its been like three whole minutes where r u
PONY DONT LEAVE AGAIN 🙏🥀💔
Ponybaby <3: WOW at least I know I’m appreciated.
Curly <3: SO CAN YOU COME TO THE DRIVE IN???
PLEAAASEEEE SAY YES IM BEGGING 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️
CHERRY SAID SHE’D PUT UP WITH DALLY IF HE SHOWED UP IF U WERE ABLE TO COME AND WE BOTH KNOW HOW MUCH THAT MEANS
Ponybaby <3: Yes, I can go.
Curly <3: HAHSHJFJD CJDJDJJJSJDNXBBS YESSSS
IM TELLING THE GANG
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(The Jackals)
Curlnelius: HES FREE
THE HORSE IS ON THE LOOSE
TONIGHT WE SHALL TAKE HIM TO HIS NATURAL HABITAT KNOWN AS THE NIGHTLY DOUBLE DRIVE-IN AND IT SHALL BE GLORIOUS
😝
Caged Horse: jeez curls it’s only been a couple days.
Also who changed my name????
3 Apples Tall: guilty as charged
u shoulda guessed im the only one here besides u that can change them
Also YAYAYSYYSHDHSHYDHGGYAYYAYAYY
Caged Horse: SCOUT
Curlnelius: it’s felt like too long any whole day away is 💔🥀
Barbie’s Hood Era: YEEESSSSS
WE PREVAIL
Gingersnap: HE’S FREEEEEEEE
Also ur such a simp curly
Curlnelius: shut up grapefruit
Gingersnap: STOP
Caged Horse: okay did everyone’s names change except for Scout’s?
Barbie’s Hood Era: dam the gaslighting didn’t work
Caged Horse: Are you many fun of my nerdiness with that pjo reference Markus
Barbie’s Hood Era: maaaybeeeee
Caged Horse: 😑
ANYWAY last I checked Curly was Happy Meal, Mark was Simba, Cherry was Ginger/Soc Overlord, and I was Donkeydude
Nice names btw scout
3 Apples Tall: aw thanks pones
I guess since u compliment my other nickname choices (that I came up with BY MYSELF SINCE U ABANDONED US) I will give u a new nickname since Darry Fairy has unshackled you for the night
(3 Apples Tall changed Caged Horse to Equinemale)
Equinemale: Why do you keep doing this.
Barbie’s Hood Era: I think this one is better than Donkeydude
Gingersnap: you have to admit it to urself pones its kinda tradition
3 Apples Tall: THANK you
Curlnelius: HA now that cherry said it’s tradition she can’t be mad when I call her different fruits/vegetables
Gingersnap: …
no comment
Equinemale: So on that note can the lovely Soc with a good car pick everyone up please??? At 6:45 preferably so we can get a good spot???
Gingersnap: ofc and u get to be Passenger Princess tonight
3 Apples Tall: RUDE u said I could be Passenger Princess next time :(
Equinemale: No, scout can have Passenger Princess I want to sit with curly <3
Gingersnap: fine 😒 I guess bros dont come first after all
Barbie’s Hood Era: no making out right next to me
Gingersnap: yah I know yall miss each other but like save it for the drive in
Curlnelius: u realize we are bringing ur car to a drive in and we’re supposed to
yknow
sit in the car?
during the movie?
Gingersnap: well u can go find seats if u want to be a simp the entire time curly
Equinemale: :(
But I guess I promise not to be too affectionate with my boyfriend in front of yall anti-PDA people.
Curlnelius:…
fine
BUT STOP CALLING ME A SIMP IT MAKES ME SOUND WEAK I AM A SHEPARD WE ARE NOT WEAK
3 Apples Tall: pones he’s having another toxic masculinity moment
Equinemale: Curly you are very tough but it’s okay to show emotion you were doing so well earlier
Toxic masculinity is not good for you
Curlnelius: okaayyyyy
Pony do u think I can come over early
Equinemale: Sorry happy meal, but you’d end up with bruises from Soda and you’re pushing it tonight as it is.
Curlnelius: but
but
but
but I have something for you
Equinemale: I’m sorry it’s for your own good.
Gingersnap: just a sec curly
Okay mark scout and I have conferred and we agreed to give curly five minutes alone with pony before we leave
Curlnelius: thank youuuuu
have I ever mentioned how much I like gingers?
Gingersnap: bro pones is literally ginger we know
Equinemale: I AM NOT GINGER MY HAIR IS AUBURN
3 Apples Tall: bro why do we not get thanks
Barbie’s Hood Era: smh favoritism fr
Curlnelius: shut up she has the car
3 Apples Tall: cher can you bring ur eyeliner so we can do the jackal thing by our eyes again?
Equinemale: ooooo yes please!
Gingersnap: fine but I still think we should’ve called ourselves the diamonds
Barbie’s Hood Era: my guy you are the only one here refined enough to be called that and you almost lost that privilege by being in a gang with us
Gingersnap: I choose my own destiny ——————————————————————————
Ponyboy watched out the window of his house for that red Stingray he knew and loved that would soon come carrying four people he loved too. Perhaps one a bit more than the others. It was the first time in forever he’d gotten to do something with his other friends, and he could tell that Darry was a little wary of them going out together, especially Curly.
“Ponykid, c’mon man, you’re holding up the game,” Dally groaned from his spot on the living room floor between Two-Bit and Johnny.
The two older boys were trying to teach Johnny how to play poker, and since Steve and Sodapop were in the kitchen helping Darry with dishes from dinner (well, Soda was helping. Steve sat on their counter eating cake, which he called helping since he was “freeing up their fridge for leftovers”), that left Ponyboy to be the fourth player. This was much to Two-Bit and Dally’s chagrin, since even with his amazing lying skills he was worse at playing poker than Johnny, who had only just started learning and was picking it up surprisingly quick.
“Alright, alright, I’m coming.” He said, but just as he was getting settled back down on the floor, an engine revved outside their house.
Pony shot up off the floor and towards the door, but before he could open it up, Darry caught his shoulder, somehow managing to get all the way from the kitchen to the door in a short amount of time. His hands were still slightly damp.
“Ponyboy, I know you miss your friends, and especially your…” Darry sighed a little bit. He still wasn’t really that fond of Curly, even though Dal had his older brother Tim wrapped around his finger. “Your boyfriend. But please be careful, and if you must do somethin’, just please don’t get caught. We don’t need nothing else happenin’ to us.”
Ponyboy nodded, and when Darry released him, he waved a quick goodbye to the gang and practically leaped out the door to where Curly was standing waiting for him, fidgeting with something in his hands. They hugged tightly there on the porch, and Pony kissed Curly’s cheek quickly, touching the small scar on his beautiful face. before Darry cleared his throat. Pony looked back at his oldest brother where he was leaning against the door frame. He could see the rest of the gang, especially Sodapop and Johnny watching Curly distrustfully.
“Have fun, both of y’all, and your friends too,” then, narrowing his eyes at Curly, Darry continued saying, “But if my kid brother comes back home a second after curfew with so much as a scratch on him, you better count your days Shepard.”
The rest of the gang voiced their agreement with him, and Dally added, “And remember you can’t hide from me at home either, Shep.”
Curly returned Darry’s gaze, acting so nonchalant and tough with his arm around Ponyboy’s shoulder, but he knew he worried about Pony’s family liking him. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Darry told them to go. Pony said goodbye to his gang again before Darry closed the door.
Ponyboy started to walk towards the car where Cherry, Mark, and Scout were waiting for them, but Curly stopped him and gave Ponyboy a proper kiss now that his gang wasn’t watching, pressing their fingertips with their matching scars from one afternoon spent playing chicken with cigarettes together years ago. Ponyboy could feel the ends of his boyfriend’s soft black curls, and Curly still smelled like smoke and the leather jacket he wore all the time. Curly pulled back and held his hands in his own and Pony felt him press something into his palm.
“I have something for you.” He said, smiling at his boyfriend.
He took his hands away to let Ponyboy see what it was. In his hands sat a silver chain with a small silver ring on it. Pony picked it up and saw that there was etching on the inside. CS+PC. Their initials. He gazed down at it in awe, then looked back up at Curly with no words to say for once in his life.
He was looking down at his feet, probably hiding a blush. “I know it’s a thing that queer couples like us used to do in the 60’s and 80’s and stuff, and I know you really like all the stuff from back then, Paul Newman and all, and I remembered Tim giving Dal one when they first started dating or whatever that relationship is, and we’ve been together for three months now so I just thought maybe…” He looked back up at Pony. “Do you like it?”
Ponyboy leapt forward at him, wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing him again. “I love it, Curls. Thank you.”
Curly grinned again, then took the chain out of his hand and put the chain around Pony’s head, letting it fall down and have the ring bounce against his chest. Pony was about to kiss him again when they heard Mark’s voice from the car.
“Hey lovebirds! Are you gonna stand there all night or can we go see this movie?” He yelled at them, and he was smiling his cat-like smile.
“Yeah, share Pones with the rest of us, Curly!” Scout added from the front seat next to Cherry.
“No chance!” Curly shouted back at them, but he grabbed his boyfriend's hand as they ran down the steps and hopped into the car.
Now that he was in the car sitting there, Pony noticed the little Jackals designs that Cherry drew next to each of their eyes. The purple Jackals design looked so good against Curly’s mocha skin, in Pony’s unbiased opinion. Cherry handed him her compact mirror and eyeliner so he could draw his own. Ponyboy loved Curly, but he knew that Curls couldn’t draw to save his life, and Cher had to drive.
He showed them the ring Curly gave him, which apparently everyone had known about. How they managed to keep a secret from him became one of the great mysteries of life to Ponyboy. Pony was as great at lying and keeping secrets as he was at spotting lies and finding out secrets. The other three Jackals allowed them one kiss in the car before they sped away.
Ponyboy didn’t remember exactly when they started being “the Jackals”, but it was probably sometime around the second or third time they vandalized Cherry’s ex-boyfriend Bob’s car and the papers said something about a new gang running around. That was when Mark had decided they needed a name, and after much debate that resulted in Curly having a split lip and Mark with a black eye, they settled on the Jackals. Nobody connected them to the new gang for a couple weeks until they all stumbled into the Shepard house one night after going out together, Jackals make-up on, and Tim Shepard had immediately clocked them. The elder Shepard brother was merciful (for once) and didn’t immediately give their names out, but after that, short, vague descriptions of the five members of the new gang slowly trickled out. Except of course Pony’s gang, who knew immediately because Dally had a boyfriend pass to know almost everything Tim knew.
Which led to Dal telling everyone else in their gang.
Which led to Pony having strict restrictions on when he could hang out with his friends.
Dal eventually felt remorse after seeing Ponyboy miserable not being able to see them, especially because that had been only a week after Curly and Pony first got together, so sometimes Dally would cover for Pony so he could go out with his friends more often. For some reason, Johnny was more against Pony’s new friends than he thought he would be. Johnny was his closest friend, Pony thought that he would be more supportive. It got even worse with Johnny after he found out about Curly. Johnny wasn’t homophobic, he just really didn’t like Curly and thought he was a bad influence, like the rest of the gang (except Dal, for the most part).
The minute they got to the drive-in and were out of the car, Curly pulled Pony in close for another kiss, cueing throw up sounds from their friends. Curly just stuck up a finger at them. Ponyboy laughed against his boyfriends lips but pulled back to spare their friends.
“No, no, you guys can keep being all lovey-dovey,” Cherry said as Curly grumbled, “We’re going to go get snacks. Just don’t do too much on my car, okay?” With that, the three of them left Pony and Curly alone, the first time they’d really been alone together in five days. They sat together in the backseat of Cherry’s Stingray, occasionally kissing, but mostly just sitting close together, holding hands and staring up at the sunset as the colors faded from the sky into darkness. After a few minutes, Curly broke the comfortable silence.
“Ponybaby?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
Pony sat there, stunned. They’d never said that to each other before. But he knew exactly how he felt about it.
“Curls?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you too.”