Chapter Text
No POV:
Ponyboy flinched as the front door slammed shut, Darry walking in with an annoyed look on his face. Ponyboy sighed softly and continued doing his homework quietly so Darry could rest peacefully.
This was fine before Two-Bit and Steve slammed the front door shut as well, having an argument over cars or something. Darry glared at them and they shut up. Johnny trails in behind them and freezes as he spots Darry’s glare, slowly walking over to Ponyboy who was sitting on the dining table.
“Is he okay?” Johnny whispers to Ponyboy. Ponyboy shrugs in reply and goes back to his math homework.
Steve puts his hands up in surrender, “C’mon superman, we didn’t mean to be so loud and disturb your ‘inner peace’.” Darry glares at Steve some more and then his eyes soften slightly as his lip wobbles. Then Darry does something no one thought would happen.
Darry cries.
Not sobs, not loud at all. Tears just start flowing down his face as he silently cries from all the stress and anger he built up. Everyone was frozen as they looked at him. Ponyboy slowly gets up from the table and looks at Darry in concern.
Ponyboy walks over and sets a hand on Darry’s shoulder, “Darry..?” Darry turned away, not wanting his little brother to see him like this. He was supposed to be the strong one, ‘superman’, the man in the house, he couldn’t afford to break down in front of his kid brother and friends.
“You know you can always talk to us, Darry.” Ponyboy said as he rubs Darry’s shoulders. Darry nods his head and sighs, then wipes his eyes.
“I know, I know, I just.. I’m supposed to be the strong one, the one you can always rely on to be in charge and know what to do..” Darry replies and hugs Ponyboy’s waist, burying his head into Ponyboy’s stomach. (Since Ponyboy’s standing and Darry’s sitting, if that makes sense-)
Ponyboy plays with Darry’s hair and just nods in response, not knowing what to say. Ponyboy had never seen his brother cry like this.