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Mar 17

❝ 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐛𝐨𝐲 (𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐲) ❞ P.C ( the outsiders ) pairing ponyboy curtis & fem! older sister! reader .🪽

synopsis 𖥧 ponyboy is your little brother, but more accurately: he is your baby, and while he loves you to death, it's only now that he's realizing how much you actually mean to him.

content 𖥧 fem/afab reader, curtis sister! reader.

💬 : MY BABY, MY SHAYLA OMG

The vacant lot was Ponyboy's favorite place to think. Not the Curtis house, with its constant hum of activity—Darry stomping around, Soda laughing at something stupid, the phone ringing, the gang dropping by. Not school, with its teachers and Socs and the constant pressure to prove himself. Not even his own bed, where the dark just gave his worries room to grow.

The lot was different. The lot was his.

Tonight, the sky was clear and scattered with stars, and the air had that late-September coolness that meant autumn was finally on its way. Ponyboy lay on his back in the grass, his hands tucked behind his head, staring up at the vastness above him. Next to him, Johnny Cade sat with his knees drawn up to his chest, a cigarette burning forgotten between his fingers.

They'd been quiet for a long time. That was the thing about Johnny, he never needed to fill the silence. With Johnny, quiet was comfortable. Quiet was safe.

"You think them stars got names?" Johnny asked suddenly, his voice soft.

Ponyboy turned his head. "They do. Thousands of 'em. There's whole books full of star names."

"Oh." Johnny considered this. "That's a lot of names to remember."

"Nobody remembers 'em all. Just the important ones." Ponyboy pointed up. "See that really bright one? That's probably a planet. Venus, maybe. Or Jupiter."

Johnny squinted, like he could somehow see better if he tried hard enough. "How d'you know all this stuff?"

"School." Ponyboy shrugged. "Science class. And… I dunno. I just like knowing things."

"Wish I liked knowing things." Johnny took a drag of his cigarette, then stubbed it out in the dirt. His parents wouldn't care if he came home smelling like smoke, they wouldn't notice if he came home at all, but old habits died hard. "School's just… loud. Too many people."

"Yeah." Ponyboy understood that better than most. "Sometimes I think I'd rather just stay home and read all day. But then Darry'd kill me."

Johnny smiled a little, which was a rare thing, that smile. It made him look younger, softer. "Your sister wouldn't let him."

Ponyboy felt something warm bloom in his chest at the mention of you. "Nah. She'd probably read with me."

"You're lucky."

The words hung in the air between them. Ponyboy sat up, suddenly more alert. Johnny didn't say things like that lightly. Johnny didn't say much of anything lightly.

"What d'you mean?"

Johnny shrugged, but his eyes were on the ground. "Just… you know. Your family. Darry works so hard for you guys. Soda's always joking around, making things better. And your sister…" He trailed off, like he wasn't sure he should continue.

"What about her?" Ponyboy's voice was carefully casual, but his heart was beating faster. He always wanted to hear what people thought about you. Always.

"She's…" Johnny seemed to search for the right word. "She's like… warm. You know? Like when you come in from the cold and there's a fire waiting. She makes you feel like you matter."

Ponyboy was quiet, letting Johnny's words sink in.

"Last week," Johnny continued, his voice even softer now, "when my dad…" He stopped, swallowed. "I was walking around, didn't wanna go home. Ended up near your place, just… walking past. And she was on the porch. Your sister. She called me over."

"She told me about that." Ponyboy had been at school when it happened, but you'd mentioned it that night, your voice carefully casual as you asked if Johnny was okay, if there was anything you could do.

"She didn't ask questions," Johnny said. "Didn't pry. Just gave me a glass of lemonade and talked about… I dunno. Books, I think. She was reading something. And she let me sit there until I felt better." He finally looked up at Ponyboy. "Nobody's ever done that before. Just… let me be."

Ponyboy's throat felt tight. He could picture it perfectly—you on the porch swing, your book in your lap, that gentle way you have of making people feel seen without making them feel exposed. You'd probably offered Johnny cookies too. You always offered cookies.

"She does that," Ponyboy managed. "She just… notices when people need stuff."

"She notices you," Johnny said. "All the time. You've passed that algebra test, haven't you? she's made you those cookies you like. The ones with the chocolate chunks."

Ponyboy blinked. "How'd you know about that?"

"I was there, earlier, came by to borrow a book. Saw her in the kitchen, covered in flour, muttering about how the recipe said to chill the dough but she didn't have time 'cause you needed cheering up." Johnny's smile came back, small but real. "She didn't even notice me standing there for like five minutes."

Ponyboy didn't know what to say. He remembered that day—the algebra test he'd been dreading for weeks, the way his stomach had been in knots all morning, how he'd told you about it and how you'd reassured him he would pass without a sweat.

And he'd aced that test today. He'd actually aced it. He told you this morning almost jumping from joy, waving the paper in his hand like a flag.

"You're real lucky, Ponyboy." Johnny's voice pulled him back to the present. "I know you know that. But sometimes I wonder if you know how lucky. To have someone who sees you. Really sees you. And just… loves you. No strings."

Ponyboy opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Because Johnny was right. He knew he was lucky—of course he knew. But hearing it said out loud, in Johnny's quiet, earnest voice, made it feel different. Made it feel real in a way it hadn't before.

"She, uh…" Ponyboy cleared his throat. "She's always been like that. Even when we were little. Mom used to say she was born with an extra big heart."

"Must be nice," Johnny said. "Having someone like that to go home to."

And there it was: the thing they never talked about, the thing that hung between them always. Johnny's home wasn't a home. Johnny's parents didn't see him, didn't love him, didn't even try. Johnny went home to a place that was colder than the lot at midnight.

Ponyboy reached out and put a hand on Johnny's shoulder. "You always got a place with us, Johnnycake. You know that, right?"

Johnny nodded, but his eyes were shiny in the starlight. "I know."

They sat like that for a while, Ponyboy's hand on Johnny's shoulder, both of them looking up at the stars. Somewhere nearby, a dog barked. A car drove past on the main road. The world kept turning, same as always.

But something had shifted in Ponyboy. Something Johnny said had taken root in his chest, and it was growing, spreading, filling him with a warmth that had nothing to do with the September air.

Someone who sees you. Really sees you. And just… loves you. No strings.

He thought about you. He thought about the way you looked at him, really looked, not just glanced. The way you remembered things he mentioned in passing, like his favorite cookies or the author he wanted to read or the fact that he hated the crusts on his sandwiches. The way you touched his hair when you walked past, like you couldn't help yourself, like you just needed to connect with him for a second.

He thought about the night after the movies, when he'd come home soaked and shaken from the Soc attack. You'd been waiting up, worried sick, and when you saw him, saw the bruises, the wet clothes, the terror in his eyes, you hadn't yelled. You'd just pulled him inside, wrapped him in a blanket, and held him until he stopped shaking. Darry had paced and fumed and demanded to know who did it. But you'd just held him.

No strings.

"I should probably head home," Ponyboy said finally, his voice rough. "It's almost eleven. Curfew's half past."

Johnny nodded, standing and brushing off his jeans. "Yeah. Me too, I guess."

They walked to the corner together, where their paths diverged. Johnny heading toward a house that wasn't a home, Ponyboy heading toward the one place in the world where he was loved.

"Hey, Pony?" Ponyboy stopped, turned back.

"Yeah?"

Johnny nodded, a small smile flickering across his face. "Tell your sister I said hi."

"I will."

And then Johnny was gone, disappearing into the shadows like he always did, and Ponyboy was walking home alone, his heart too full for his chest.

The streets were quiet at this hour. Most of the houses were dark, their occupants already asleep or getting ready for bed. Ponyboy walked slowly, not because he was tired, though he was, he realized suddenly, bone-tired in a way that had nothing to do with his body, but because he needed time to think.

Johnny's words kept circling in his head. Someone who sees you. Really sees you. Did you know how much that meant to him? Did you know that every time you looked at him, really looked at him, it felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold day?

He thought about all the things you did that he'd started taking for granted. The way you always made sure there was milk for his cereal, even when money was tight. The way you'd slip extra food onto his plate without saying anything, knowing he was still growing and always hungry. The way you'd sit with him sometimes, late at night, when he couldn't sleep, and you'd talk about books or poems or nothing at all, just your voice a soft presence in the dark.

No strings. You never asked for anything in return. You never made him feel like he owed you. You just… loved him. Steadily, quietly, completely.

Ponyboy's eyes burned. He blinked rapidly, blaming it on the night air, on the dust, on anything but the truth.

He was tired. That was it. He'd been up since six for school, and it was almost eleven, and he was tired, and tired people got emotional. That was normal. That was fine.

He turned onto his street and saw the house up ahead. The porch light was on. You always left the porch light on when anyone was out after dark. It made the house look warm, welcoming, like a beacon guiding him home.

As he got closer, he noticed something else. The kitchen light was on too. And there was a figure in the window.

You.

You were standing at the kitchen sink, probably washing up the last of the dinner dishes. Your hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, and you were wearing that old cardigan of Mom's, the one that was too big for you but that you refused to give up. You looked tired—he could see it even from outside, the way your shoulders slumped slightly, the way you moved slowly, but you were there. You were always there.

Ponyboy's throat closed up.

He fumbled with the front door key, his hands shaking slightly. When he finally got inside, the warmth of the house hit him like a wave. It smelled like you: like the lavender soap you liked and the cookies you baked and something else, something indefinable that was just home.

You heard him come in and turned from the sink, drying your hands on a dish towel. Your face lit up when you saw him—it always did, and he'd never really noticed before, but now he saw it clearly, the way your whole expression softened, the way your eyes crinkled at the corners.

"Hey, baby," you said softly. "You're just in time. I was starting to worry."

Ponyboy opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He just stood there in the kitchen doorway, staring at you like he'd never seen you before.

You tilted your head, concerned. "Pony? You okay?"

He nodded, then shook his head, then shrugged helplessly. His eyes were definitely burning now, and no amount of blinking was fixing it.

You crossed the kitchen in three quick steps, your hand reaching up to touch his forehead. "You're not sick, are you? You look a little flushed-"

And that was it. That was all it took. Your hand on his forehead, your worried eyes searching his face, your voice soft with concern and Ponyboy shattered.

The tears came without warning, a flood he couldn't stop and didn't know how to explain. He tried to turn away, embarrassed, but you were already pulling him into your arms, holding him tight against you like you'd done a thousand times before.

"Hey, hey, hey," you murmured, your hand rubbing circles on his back. "What's this? What's wrong, honey?"

Nothing was wrong. Everything was wrong. Everything was right. He didn't know how to explain it. He didn't have the words.

So he just cried. He cried into your shoulder, his arms wrapped around your waist, holding on like you might disappear if he let go. He cried for Johnny, who had no one to go home to. He cried for Darry, who worked himself to the bone and never complained. He cried for Soda, who smiled through everything. He cried for you, who gave and gave and gave and never asked for anything back.

But mostly, he cried because he loved you. Because you were his sister and his friend and his safe place and his home. Because you saw him, really saw him, and loved him anyway. Because you were the best person he knew, and sometimes that knowledge was just too big to fit inside his chest.

"Ponyboy." Your voice was soft, patient, utterly unalarmed. You'd held him through plenty of crying jags over the years—you knew this wasn't an emergency. "Ponyboy, you're scaring me a little. Can you tell me what's going on?"

He shook his head against your shoulder, his breath hitching. How could he explain? How could he put into words something so big, so overwhelming?

"I just-" he gasped. "I just love you. So much. And I don't-I don't say it enough, and you do so much, and I never-"

"Oh, honey." Your arms tightened around him. "Oh, Ponyboy."

"I'm sorry," he choked out. "I'm sorry, I'm being stupid-"

"You're not being stupid." You pulled back just enough to look at his face, your hands cupping his cheeks, your thumbs brushing away tears. "You're never stupid for feeling things. You know that."

But he kept crying, because now that he'd started, he couldn't seem to stop. And you kept holding him, because that's what you did, that's what you'd always done.

What Ponyboy didn't know, what he couldn't see from his position buried in your shoulder, was that they had an audience.

Sodapop had heard the front door open from his spot on the couch, where he'd been pretending to read a magazine but was actually half-asleep. When he heard the first muffled sob, his eyes flew open, and he peeked over the back of the couch with the stealth of a cat burglar.

What he saw made his eyebrows shoot up. Then a slow, delighted grin spread across his face.

He crept silently to the stairs and took them two at a time, landing softly on the landing outside Darry's room. He knocked once, twice, then pushed the door open without waiting for an answer.

"Darry." His voice was a stage whisper. "Darry, you gotta come see this."

Darry looked up from the pile of paperwork he was doing for work, more overtime calculations, more budget adjustments, more trying to make ends meet. He was exhausted, and his expression said he had absolutely no patience for Soda's nonsense.

"Soda, I'm busy-"

"No, seriously. Come see."

Something in Soda's tone made Darry pause. He set down his pen and followed his brother to the top of the stairs.

From there, they had a perfect view of the kitchen. Of you, holding Ponyboy. Of Ponyboy, sobbing into your shoulder like his heart was breaking. Of you, rubbing his back and murmuring soft things they couldn't hear.

Darry stared. "Is he… crying?"

"Crying?" Soda's grin widened. "Darry, that's not crying. That's a full-blown weepy meltdown. Haven't seen one of those since…"

They looked at each other, the same memory surfacing in both their minds.

Ponyboy was nine years old. You were fourteen. And you'd come home from school one day with a dreamy look on your face, talking about a boy in your class named Tommy something-or-other. You'd mentioned him at dinner—just in passing, just a casual comment about how he'd held the door for you—and Ponyboy had frozen mid-bite.

Later that night, you'd found him in your room, sitting on your bed, his face blotchy and tear-streaked. When you asked what was wrong, he'd wailed, "You're gonna get married and move away and have babies and forget all about us!"

It had taken you an hour to convince him that a) you were not getting married, b) you were not moving away, c) you barely knew Tommy Something-or-other, and d) even if you did eventually get married and have babies, you would never, ever forget about him.

He'd made you promise. Made you pinky-swear. Made you sign a piece of paper that said "I Promise To Always Be Ponyboy's Sister First." You still had that paper somewhere, tucked away in your jewelry box.

Darry and Soda had watched the whole thing from the hallway, trying very hard not to laugh. They'd failed, spectacularly, and Ponyboy had thrown a pillow at them.

Now, ten years later, history was repeating itself.

"He's having another one," Soda whispered, awe in his voice. "He's actually having another one."

Darry pinched the bridge of his nose, but his shoulders were shaking. "We shouldn't watch. It's not right to watch."

"We absolutely should watch." Soda was already settling onto the top step, making himself comfortable. "This is premium entertainment. Better than TV."

Downstairs, you'd maneuvered Ponyboy to the kitchen table and sat him down in a chair. You were crouched in front of him now, still holding his hands, still talking softly. Ponyboy was nodding, sniffling, occasionally wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Did you know about this?" Darry asked, sinking down next to Soda on the step. "Did something happen?"

Soda shook his head. "He was fine this morning. Aced his algebra test, remember? You told him good job."

Darry did remember. He'd been so tired he'd probably sounded gruff about it, but he'd tried. He always tried.

"Maybe it's just… everything," Soda said thoughtfully. "School, the gang, the Socs, Mom and Dad…" He trailed off. "And she's been extra mom-ish lately. Maybe it just hit him all at once."

Darry was quiet for a moment. Then, softly: "She's good at that. The mom-ish stuff."

"Yeah." Soda leaned his head against Darry's shoulder. "She got it from Mom."

Downstairs, you'd moved to sit in the chair next to Ponyboy, your arm around his shoulders. He was leaning into you, his head resting against your arm, his breathing finally starting to even out.

"He's gonna be so embarrassed tomorrow," Darry observed.

"So embarrassed," Soda agreed happily. "We gotta remember every detail. For blackmail purposes."

"You're terrible."

"I'm a brother. Same thing."

It was another ten minutes before Ponyboy finally calmed down enough to speak in complete sentences. You'd stayed with him the whole time, your voice a steady presence, your hand never leaving his.

"I'm sorry," he said finally, his voice rough and nasally from crying. "I don't even know why I'm—I mean, I do, but I can't explain it—"

"You don't have to explain it." You squeezed his hand. "Sometimes feelings just need to come out. That's okay."

He nodded, sniffling. "Johnny said something. Tonight. At the lot. About how lucky I am. To have you." He looked at you, his eyes still red-rimmed. "And I just… I started thinking about all the stuff you do. All the time. And I don't ever say thank you. I don't ever—"

"Ponyboy." Your voice was gentle but firm. "You don't have to thank me. I'm your sister. This is what sisters do."

"But you gave up everything-"

"I didn't give up anything I wasn't willing to give." You reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind his ear, the way you'd done since he was little. "You boys are my whole world. All of you. Darry and Soda and you. Taking care of you isn't a sacrifice. It's just… what I do. Who I am."

Ponyboy's eyes welled up again. "I don't deserve you."

"Yes, you do." You said it simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You deserve everything good, Ponyboy Curtis. And don't you forget it."

He was quiet for a long moment, processing. Then he sniffled again and said, "You smell like cookies."

You laughed—a real laugh, warm and surprised. "That's because I made cookies."

"I know." He paused. "Johnny told me. For my algebra test."

"Johnny has a big mouth." But you were smiling. "Speaking of which…" You stood and walked to the counter, where a plate sat covered with wax paper. You brought it back to the table and set it in front of him. "I was saving these for when you got home. Figured you'd earned them."

Ponyboy lifted the wax paper and stared at the plate. Chocolate chunk cookies, your special recipe, the one you'd perfected over years of practice. They were still slightly warm.

"You made these for me," he said quietly. "Even though you were tired. Even though you had a million other things to do."

"I always have time for you, baby."

He picked up a cookie and took a bite. It was perfect—crispy on the edges, soft in the middle, loaded with chocolate. It tasted like love. It tasted like home.

"I love you," he said, his voice thick. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Ponyboy." You sat back down next to him and stole a cookie for yourself. "Eat up. There's more where that came from."

Upstairs, Darry and Soda watched as Ponyboy ate cookies and gradually returned to something resembling normal. He was still sniffling occasionally, still leaning into you like a much smaller child, but the crisis had passed.

"Show's over," Soda whispered, disappointed. "He's pulling it together."

"Good. Now we can go to bed." Darry stood, stretching. "Some of us have to work tomorrow."

"Some of us have to work two jobs tomorrow," Soda corrected. "You're a machine, Darry."

Darry snorted. "I'm a machine that needs sleep." He started toward his room, then paused. "Hey, Soda?"

"Yeah?"

"She's something, isn't she? Our sister."

Soda smiled, soft and genuine. "Yeah. She really is."

Downstairs, Ponyboy finished his third cookie and finally managed a weak smile. "These are really good."

"I know." You grinned. "I'm an excellent baker."

"You're excellent at everything."

"I know that too." You ruffled his hair. "Come on, crying baby. Time for bed. You've got school tomorrow."

He groaned but stood, obedient as always when it came to you. At the bottom of the stairs, he paused and turned back.

"Hey?"

"Yeah?"

"I really do love you. Like… more than anything. You know that, right?"

Your expression softened into something so tender it made his heart ache all over again. "I know, Ponyboy. I've always known."

He nodded, satisfied, and started up the stairs. At the top, he nearly collided with Soda, who was lurking in the hallway with a deeply unsubtle grin.

"Heard you had a rough night, little buddy," Soda said, far too cheerfully.

Ponyboy's eyes narrowed. "How much did you see?"

"Everything." Soda's grin widened. "Every single tear. Every single sniffle. Every single 'I love you so much.' It was beautiful. Cinematic. I'll treasure it forever."

Ponyboy's face flushed crimson. "I hate you."

"No, you don't. You love me. Almost as much as you love her." Soda dodged the half-hearted punch Ponyboy threw and threw an arm around his shoulders. "Come on, crybaby. Let's get you to bed."

"Don't call me that."

"Would you prefer 'Cookie Monster'? 'Cause that was also pretty accurate."

"I hate you so much."

"You love me. You love everyone tonight. It's a love-fest."

From his room, Darry's voice carried through the door: "If you two don't shut up and go to sleep, I'm gonna come out there and make you both do extra chores tomorrow."

Soda and Ponyboy exchanged looks, then scrambled silently to their respective rooms.

But before Ponyboy closed his door, he looked back toward the stairs. You were still in the kitchen, probably cleaning up, probably getting ready for another long day tomorrow. He could hear you humming—one of Mom's old songs, the one she used to sing while she cooked.

He stood there for a long moment, listening.

Someone who sees you. Really sees you. And just… loves you. No strings.

Johnny was right. He was so lucky. And he'd spend the rest of his life trying to be worthy of that luck.

He closed his door, climbed into bed, and fell asleep with the taste of chocolate still on his lips and the warmth of your love still wrapped around his heart.

And he woke to the smell of bacon.

He stumbled downstairs, still half-asleep, to find you at the stove, flipping eggs. Darry was at the table, already dressed for work, a cup of coffee in his hand. Soda was sitting across from him, looking obnoxiously well-rested.

"Morning, sunshine," Soda chirped. "Sleep well?"

Ponyboy grunted, heading for the coffee pot.

"Whoa there." You turned from the stove, spatula raised like a weapon. "You're fourteen. No coffee."

"It's not fair. Soda gets coffee."

"Soda's almost eighteen. Big difference."

"It's a two-year difference."

"It's a four-year difference in responsibility. Sit. Eat." You slid a plate of eggs and bacon onto the table in front of him. "You need protein for that brain of yours."

Ponyboy sat, grumbling, but he couldn't stay grumpy for long. Not with you bustling around the kitchen, not with breakfast hot and ready, not with the memory of last night still warm in his chest.

Darry caught his eye across the table. For a moment, his expression was unreadable. Then, quietly, he said, "Heard you aced that algebra test. Good job."

Ponyboy blinked. Darry didn't say things like that often. "Thanks."

Darry nodded once, then went back to his coffee. But there was something in his eyes—something soft, something proud—that made Ponyboy's chest feel full all over again.

Soda, unable to resist, leaned across the table. "Hey, Pony. You gonna cry again? 'Cause if so, I wanna get comfortable."

Ponyboy threw a piece of bacon at him.

"Hey!" Soda caught it mid-air and took a bite. "Thanks for the extra protein."

"You're both children," you said, but you were smiling. You set a fresh glass of orange juice in front of Ponyboy and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "Eat up, baby. Big day today."

Ponyboy looked around the table—at Darry, trying so hard to hold them all together; at Soda, laughing through everything; at you, the heart of them all, the reason they were still a family at all.

Lucky, Johnny had said. So lucky.

Yeah. He was.

And he'd never forget it again.

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