I have yet to read or watch rumble fish but as I do with everything I want to watch I looked at a few edits and I saw Rustyboy so it got me wonderin’ if you got any hcs for them :D
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!! I PLANNED TO DO MY EARLIER ASKS BUT THIS HAS CAUGHT MY ATTENTION EVERYONE STEP THE FUCK TO THE SIDE RUSTYBOY IS PRIORITY!!!! I FUCKING LVOE RUSTYBOY BUT I HAVE SEEN A TOTAL OF MAYBE 5 EDITS FOR THEM LAST I CHECK AND ONE (1) POST FOR THEM SO KNOW THAT ALL THESE HC'S COME DIRECTLY FROM MY BRAIN, UNTOUCHED AND UNSEASONED!!! (also I reread Rumblefish specifically for this ask but I can't quite grasp Rusty-James' character like I can Pony so y'all will have to forgive me if its OOC. either I relate too much or too little with Rusty-James either way I can't fully wrap my head around him yet)
I like the idea of age-gap Rustyboy where Ponyboy is older than Rusty-James and it's post-canon!TheOutsiders pre-canon!Rumblefish and Rusty-James reminds Pony of Dally, but yk what I love even more? THEM BOTH BEING PRE-CANON AND !$ AND RUSTY-JAMES BEING DALLY'S HALF-BROTHER AND PONY THINKING THAT THEM LOOKING EXACTLY ALIKE IS A COINCIDENCE AND THEN THEY DATE AND RUSTY BEING RELATED TO DALLY IS ONLY REVEALED WHEN PONY INTRODUCES HIM TO THE GANG!!!!!!
Yapper!Rusty-James/Yapper!Ponyboy !!!! Rusty-James who talks and talks about the most random shit or about his brother when it's just him and Pony, and Pony who goes on and on about books and his brothers.
They enable each other when it comes to taking too much Asprin. Rusty-James had SEVEN in the book. SEVEN.
They argue a LOT, whether about small or big things, because they're so different yet alike and one of their biggest similarities is their short-tempers. Fights start quick but cool down quicker, although they have come to blows when Ponyboy pushes too hard.
If Rusty-James is ever going to fight and he's bringing people, Pony will always be there without fail. Could be in the afternoon, the night, or the ass-crack of dawn, Pony is there.
Pony and Steve (Rumblefish Steve not Outsiders Steve) get along really well. Nothing else to say I just think they'd get along.
Pre/during-canon Pony would think that Rusty-James' love for fighting is tuff, and he would absolutely fight a dude with Rusty-James. Post-canon Pony all but begs Rusty-James to just slow down and stop mistaking spilled blood for worth.
Pony finds Rusty-James' insistence on not drinking soda endearing, but when he's mad at him he'll tease Rusty-James about drinking chocolate milk until Rusty-James gets mad.
Rusty-James likes playing pool in his spare time but Pony is horrible at it, so Rusty-James will sometimes let Ponyboy win is Pony is getting frustrated or if Pony has had a bad day.
During their later teen years (assuming Rusty-James doesn't get taken by the police) Rusty-James doesn't even consider touching anything stronger than a smoke, Ponyboy wants to try anything and everything at least once and becomes a regular marijuana smoker for a bit. They actually broke up a few times about this, but they always end up back together, and eventually Pony cools it goes back to just smokes.
The Curtis brothers aren't a huge fan of Rusty-James at first since he seems like trouble, but one night he comes stumbling in all beat up and crashes on their house, and his reasoning is 'no one is at my place right now' and makes a few other vague comments. Obviously Rusty-James played this off as a casual comment but Darry and Soda can read between the lines, and now they treat Rusty-James like another Ponyboy. They have the same amount of success in raising him that they would Dally, which is to say, none. Pony loves that his brothers like Rusty-James.
The Curtis brothers' newfound acceptance of Rusty-James doesn't stop him from being a menace and sneaking into the house, convincing Pony to sneak out of the house, and just generally being a bad influence.
They're surprisingly silly and sweet for an orphaned, short-tempered, insecure 14 year old and a neglected, short-tempered, reckless 14 year old. They really enjoy watching movies and sharing kisses on the couch, going to diners, gossiping, shit-talking, and complaining.
Rusty-James tries really hard to be the suave, bad boy, heartthrob, hood boyfriend, and sometimes he succeeds. Other times Pony ices him out and complains about him acting different until he gives up.