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The first thing Two-Bit noticed when he arrived at the Curtis house was that his favorite jacket was missing. Not the old brown one with the busted zipper. Not the denim one Steve once spilled motor oil on. No, it was his favorite jacket—the black leather one. “Aw, hell nah,” Two-Bit muttered, kicking the front door shut behind him. “Who stole my masterpiece?”
In the kitchen, Ponyboy looked up from Gone With the Wind. “You mean the jacket you wear every single day?”
“Exactly, My brand, My identity, My legacy.”
Pony snorted. “Maybe it finally escaped from your greasy hands.”
Two-Bit ignored him and stomped into the living room. “Soda! Darry! We’ve had a robbery!”
Darry didn’t even look up from the newspaper. “Nobody robbed you.”
“My jacket is gone.”
“Maybe because you leave your stuff everywhere.”
“No I don’t!”
“You threw it down on the ground yesterday, Two-bit”
“It was hangin' up today though!” Two-Bit protested. “Respectfully, Beautifully, Like art.”
Soda came in from the kitchen with a grin. “Maybe a greaser fairy took it.”
“You think this is funny?”
“A little.”
Two-Bit narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “You know somethin'.”
Soda immediately looked guilty.
That was strange because Soda always looked guilty about something.
Whether it was stealing Pepsi from the general store or eating the last piece of chocolate cake, he always looked guilty for something.
Two-Bit pointed accusingly. “Aha!”
“I didn’t take it!”
“That ain’t a denial with confidence.”
Before Soda could respond, Steve entered carrying a greasy paper bag from The Dingo. “Who died?”
“My jacket,” Two-bit answered.
Steve blinked once. “You’re still whinin' about that?”
“It’s leather, Steve. Real leather. Smooth as sin.”
Steve rolled his eyes and headed toward the kitchen, but Soda suddenly moved quickly to follow him. Too quickly.
Two-Bit squinted. Suspicious. Very suspicious. But before he could investigate, Johnny walked in looking exhausted, and behind him— Dallas Winston. And there it was. Two-Bit’s jacket.
Dallas leaned against the doorway like he wasn’t committing a crime against fashion. He pushed up his sleeves, tucked a cigarette behind one ear, and smirked like the devil himself.
Two-Bit stared.
Dallas smirk grew wider. “What?”
“That’s my jacket.”
“Is it?”
“Yes, you know fuck well it is!”
Dallas glanced down at himself lazily. “Looks better on me.”
Ponyboy made a choking sound, trying not to laugh. Two-Bit marched across the room. “You thief.”
“You left it at Buck’s.”
“That doesn’t mean you can take it Dal!”
Dallas shrugged. “Finders keepers.”
Two-Bit reached for the jacket, but Dallas caught his wrist before he could grab it.
The room went strangely quiet. Dallas wasn’t pushing him away. He wasn’t letting go, either.
He just held Two-Bit’s wrist while grinning as if he knew exactly what he was doing. Two-Bit swallowed hard. “Are you goin’ to let me go or what?”
“Nah.”
Johnny looked deeply tired already. “Here we go again.”
Dallas tugged Two-Bit a little closer. “Maybe I like the attention.”
Two-Bit hated the way his stomach flipped at that. He hated it even more because Dallas noticed. “You blushin’, Matthews?”
“Shut up.”
“Think he’s blushin’, Johnny?”
“I ain’t involved in this,” Johnny said right away.
Two-Bit tried to pull his hand free, but Dallas just laughed softly.
God, Dallas’ laugh should be illegal.
“Give me my jacket back,” Two-Bit muttered.
“Ask nicer.”
“You are the worst human being to ever live.”
“And yet you keep lookin’ at me.”
That silenced him. Ponyboy suddenly stood. “I’m leavin' before this gets gross.”
“You’re dramatic,” Two-Bit snapped.
“Y’all are flirtin’ like divorced people.”
“We ain’t flirtin’!”
Dallas grinned. “Sure.”
Ponyboy stood up and walked off toward his room before anyone could argue further, Johnny looked around for a moment before sighing and following Ponyboy down the hallway to his room. Two-Bit glared at Dallas for a second before finally sighing dramatically. “Fine. Keep the stupid jacket, I have others.”
“Knew you’d give in.”
“But if you stretch it out, I’ll kill you.”
This was practically impossible because Dallas looks like a twig compared to Two-bit
Dallas snorted and finally let go of his wrist.
Two-Bit immediately missed the warmth of his hand.
Which was a problem. A big problem. He distracted himself by stalking toward the hallway. “I’m going to see if I have another jacket somewhere.”
“Good luck,” Steve called from the kitchen.
Two-Bit paused. The kitchen door was shut.
The kitchen door was never shut, Two-bit had forgotten that the kitchen even had a door. Suspicion returned instantly.
He crept down the hallway, ignoring Dallas’ amused stare behind him. The closer he got, the more muffled voices he heard. Then laughter. Then—
“Oh my God,” Soda whispered.
Two-Bit froze.
“…Seriously?” Steve muttered.
Two-Bit’s eyes widened. No way. Absolutely no fucking way. He slammed the kitchen door open. Soda and Steve jumped apart so quickly that Soda nearly fell off the counter he’d been sitting on. Steve looked murderous. Soda looked horrified. Soda’s hair looked all messed up and both pairs of lips were a nice cherry shade of red, Two-Bit stared at them. Then pointed.
Then wheezed, “NO.”
“Shut up,” Steve snapped immediately.
“You were MAKIN' OUT?”
“We were not—”
“You absolutely were!”
Soda covered his face with both hands. “Please let me die quietly.”
Two-Bit doubled over laughing. “OH THIS IS FUCKIN' GOLD.”
Steve looked ready to throw a knife at him. “You say one word and I’m killin' you.”
“Oh, I’m sayin' many words.”
Footsteps approached behind him.
Dallas appeared in the doorway first, followed by Johnny, Ponyboy and Darry.
Dallas took one look at Soda and Steve standing a metre apart and looking guilty as hell, and immediately burst out laughing. Johnny blinked slowly. “Oh.”
Darry pinched the bridge of his nose like he’d aged ten years in two seconds.
“This house is cursed,” he muttered.
Steve pointed threateningly at everyone. “Nobody talks about this.”
“Too late,” Two-Bit cackled. “This is the funniest day of my life.”
Soda looked like he wanted the earth to swallow him whole. “Please.”
Dallas leaned against the doorway, still wearing Two-Bit’s jacket, grinning like a menace. “Knew there was somethin' off with you two.”
“There's nothin' off,” Steve argued.
“You were literally snoggin’ each other’s faces off ,” Johnny said.
Steve looked betrayed. “Johnny, whose side are you on?”
“I didn’t think there were sides.”
Two-Bit wiped tears from his eyes dramatically. “This is beautiful.”
Then Dallas stepped closer and whispered quietly enough for only Two-Bit to hear:
“You’re prettier when you laugh.”
Two-Bit instantly forgot how to breathe.
His grin vanished. “What?”
Dallas shrugged casually, but something about his expression softened. “Nothin'.”
“No, you said—”
“Think I’ll keep the jacket,” Dallas interrupted.
“Oh, come on—”
But Dallas was already walking away down the hallway, smirking to himself.
Two-Bit stared after him. Then looked down. The idiot had slipped something into his hand. A folded note. Heart pounding embarrassingly hard, Two-Bit opened it quickly before anyone noticed. “Looks better on your floor anyway” it said,Two-Bit nearly choked. “Oh my God,” he whispered. Soda instantly peeked over. “What’s that?”
Two-Bit slammed the note shut against his chest. “It’s nothin' Soda.”
Dallas’ laughter echoed from down the hallway. And somehow, impossibly, Two-Bit knew that idiot was grinning right now. Which was annoying. Really annoying. …Also kind of perfect.