I don’t think Johnnys parents were always abusive and horrible.
HEAR ME OUT— if they (or at least Mrs. Cade) drinked and smoked and had all that toxicity around them when the bitch was pregnant with Johnny, she’d likely miscarry. But even if she didn’t, Johnny would be impaired in some way, have asthma, clear brain damage, something like that, BUT HE DOESNT.
he’s perfectly healthy. No asthma, no brain damage, nothing.
(side note: if Mr. Cade smoked a bunch Mrs. Cade would get second hand asthma/lung problems and that would effect Johnny but again he’s healthy so Mr. Cade wasn’t crazy back then either.)
if they were bad they’d shake the shit out of Johnny without hesitation. But again, Johnnys perfectly healthy. No damage.
so when then, did the Cade parents turn rotten? Just recently? Maybe. but likely not. Johnny never phrased it like “oh maybe they’ll snap out of it and have a soul AGAIN now that I’ve runaway.” but he does sound like he’s reaching for something that once was.
I’m guessing it was when Johnny was like 4. Something happened. Idk what, but something. Someone died, someone cheated and no divorce could be had, or the parents just started fighting all the time.
SOMETHING, that made them both spiral into smoking, drinking, and being abusive.
now here’s where my personal headcanon comes in, the Curtis’ and Cades used to be good friends and when the Cades began to turn sour, Mrs. Curtis offered to babysit Johnny a lot more so he could be kept safe.
Johnny asked about his parents in the car with dally cause he’s heard so much about how they were when Johnny was younger, they were good, they were nice, they were excited to be parents and have Johnny.
Johnny wondered if him leaving make wake that old part of them back up.
Marbit fanart because I feel like I haven't seen a lot of fanart of this ship. I wish that Two-bit didn't throw away Marcia's number, they would've been a cute couple. 😞
just being delulu about hybrid!outsiders au, you're just a young wealthy woman that has her life solved thanks to being the heir to your father's succesful bussiness.
You just have to sit around in your desk, in your huge countryhouse, and do some stupid paperwork. You just have to sign and aprove and decline and repeat, easy, right?
Well, you are really starting to dislike the utter silence in your house. Everything is too quiet and too empty and you sure as hell ain't gonna have kids anytime soon without a partner.
So you head up to the locel hybrid kennel, because it's better than adopting and paying for pure breed dogs when there are ones about to be sacrified.
And then, once you enter, you're greeted by the sight of a lot of hybrids in pitiful conditions. Mostly males.
So you head up to the closest worker and ask "which is the one that is closer to being sacrified?" and the man simply points towards a small cage with a tan-skinned hybrid (that looked scared out of his mind) "that one" he replies nonchantaly.
So you go and try and adopt that stray Greyhound hybrid, named Johnny, only for other dogs to start barking at you.
Seemingly, to get Johnny you had to get Dallas—a Canary Mastiff—.
And to get Dallas you had to get Two-Bit—a Siberian Husky—.
And to get Two-Bit you had to get Steve—a Weimaraner—.
And to get Steve you had to get Sodapop—a Golden Retriever—.
And to get Soda you had to get Ponyboy—a Belgian Tervurem—.
And to get Ponyboy you had to get Darry—a German Shepherd—.
Basically, they were an inter-breed pack and either you got them all or you got none.
And, against your better judgement and because you couldn't just let them be sacrified —because you were sensitive like that, damn—, you ended up taking them all in.
—Wich was at both the best decission of your life and the worst mistake you've ever made—.
,,
Darry was goddamn glad you had agreed to take them all in, mainly because you were more-or-less his age and he was no longer the only figure of authority in the group. He was the most helpful, often offering to help you wash the dishes or cook lunch.
Johnny was the most shy one of them all, he had a guarded nature and it seemed something had happened to make him all-the-more anxious and wary around new people. However, he seems to be taking a liking to you by the way he usually drops on his knees under your desk whenever you're working and rests his head on your lap —more often-than-not playing around with your skirt or pants—.
Ponyboy was the youngest, but surpsisingly not the most hyper despite still being practically a puppy. He's very smart and will often correct you just to (affectionately) get on your nerves, he also likes to read your books so you better keep anything with inapropiate content out of his reach if you don't want an earful from his brother Darry.
The most hyper price is won by both Sodapop and Two-Bit, they're just two overeager hybrids that are completely ecstatic about living in your house —often sticking their noses where they shouldn't, but oh well.
Soda is very hyper, constantly orbiting around you and asking about everything you do —even when you're just cooking and he has seen Darry cook plenty of time before, he just wants you to talk to him—. There are no thoughts™ inside his pretty head, and also the most reactive to praise. Just slip in a "good boy" or "such a good job!" and he's melting into a puddle of goo in the floor, tail wagging furiously.
Two-Bit is hyper too, but more on the restless side of the spectrum. He just needs distractions, put on mickey mouse on the TV or give him a newspaper to tear apart and he's all good 👍.
Steve is more.. on the reserved side, a little more grumpy and stubborn —and the only one to have ever flared his teeth at you—.
It's not that he doesn't like you, at the contrary:; he damn loves you for taking the whole gang in, but that's just his personality.
He'll show how grateful he is by helping you out in subtle things, like picking up the toys from the others and placing them all in one place so you don't go crazy when it's time to put them in their box, or by making sure no one —Dallas— steals anything personal from you.
Dallas is the biggest deal out of them all though, he's just completely unhinged. He doesn't follow your rules and is constantly going out of his way just to do specifically what you told him not to —thank god that Darry's there to keep him in his place from time to time—.
He's a total bastard, and is always being a bitch about things and also always saying comments about your body and how hot you are. Also you're pretty sure a few panties of yours have gone missing..
But, in the end, at least your house is not empty anymore, neither silent, constantly echoed in:
"mommy!" that's Johnny.
"ma'!" that one's Steve.
"mommaaaa!" that's Ponyboy complaining about something, no doubts.
"miss mommy!" those two are, no doubt, Two-Bit and Soda.
"mama~" that damn sing-song tone is Dallas'.
And yes, Johnny, you can read him a book even though he's clearly able to do it himself.
Yes, Steve, you know where his shirt is, but he can't go around shirtless like that.Yes, Ponyboy, you can give him a can of coke even tho he's obviously able to get it himself.
Yes, Soda and Two-Bit, you can put the channel in which they stream mickey mouse™ even if they already know which it is.
And yes—oh, actually no, Dallas, you won't shower him, he can do it himself.
"You don't wanna end up like Sandy now, do you?" Her name was now ushered as if it was a bad word, like saying it out loud would get you expelled.
It felt like it would to Marcia.
Sandy was the cautionary tale of what happened to the best girls if they started hanging out with greasers: they become social outcasts, they lose their dignity and become young promiscuous moms.
But she wasn't a bad person, she was sweet and nice. Marcia had actually enjoyed hanging with her during cheer practice and working on school projects together. Sandy had dreams of going far in life and her positive attitude was refreshing. She was just a girl who fell in love with the wrong guy.
Marcia shouldn't let herself do the same. At the end of Romeo and Juliet, they both died, she tells herself, waiting by her phone. It's best Two-Bit didn't call her, or else she couldn't be sure she wouldn't end up like Sandy.
