The Outsiders - Three Brothers

Tears and Phone Calls

"Please don't hate me." Pony's voice was barely above a whisper and it made Soda freeze mid-swing.

He dropped the brush and let it clatter to the ground as he grabbed his baby brother up and was hugging him as tight as he could. Tears falling down his face, "I don't hate you honey. God. I love you so much. I could never hate you!"

Pony didn't care how stupid he looked; with his sweats that were too big cause they'd been Soda's - and his underpants around his ankles, crying like a baby and hugging onto his big brother. He didn't care if Steve Randle taunted him for the next ten years over it, he was just so happy to have Soda hugging him and telling him, he loved him. "T-that was the worst spanking ever!" He managed to blubber out. His face was buried in Sodapop's shirt and his body was shaking with his heavy cries.

"I know baby. God do I know." He ran a hand through the boy's hair gently. "Shhh. Shhh. Calm down baby. It's all over with now." He wouldn't tell him he ended the spanking early. He couldn't bring himself to carry out the full twenty after what Pony had said.

"I'm sorry I made you cry." Sodapop could've busted out laughing. It was such a comical thing to say. Ponyboy had just gotten what he considered to be the worse whoopin' of his life and he was worried cause Sodapop had started to cry.

"I hate whoopin' you Pony."

"I know. I hate you whoopin' me." That did get a laugh from Soda. Ponyboy had stopped blubbering and now was just rubbing his poor and sorry behind with one hand and his eyes with the other. He really was just a little kid, and the scene in front of Soda proved it. He was pouting a little, and looked even younger than he usually did. "Huh?" He looked at Soda in confusion.

Sodapop had grabbed Pony's face with both his hands and was looking at him real hard. Not like before when he was reprimanding him, but like he had something real important to say. "Ponyboy Michael. I love you more than anything in this world.  And don't you EVER go thinking I hate you. Because I DON'T. Even when I have to bust your butt. I might be upset with you and disappointed in how you chose to act. But I will ALWAYS love you. You understand?"

Ponyboy nodded, and it was kind of cute. Because his cheeks smooshed up when he nodded into Soda's hands. "I love you too Soda...Even when you're busting my butt - shit! Ow! I mean shoot!" Sodapop had reached around and was pulling up his brother's pants when he heard the cuss. So he landed a light smack - but it still stung like hell on a freshly paddled bottom.

"I know it hurts. Good thing you changed into sweats." He helped Ponyboy stand to his feet and looked at the clock. Eleven PM. Even on a regular night Pony's bedtime was ten-thirty. He knew the kid was tired, since he'd stopped crying and fretting so much, he had started to sway on his feet - showing his tired state. "Alright. Let's get you tucked into bed."

"You gonna come too?"

"I'll come tuck you in, but I gotta call Darry."

"Tonight? Can't you wait until he gets home? He's gonna yell at me!" He whined as the two started to head to their shared room.

"I just paddled your butt red as a tomato. And you're worrying about Darry yelling at you?"

Ponyboy's pout deepened, "I was just hoping to avoid it for a bit."

Sodapop rolled his eyes, "alright hun, into bed." He didn't need to say it twice, Ponyboy crawled into bed and laid down, on his stomach, and hugged a pillow as his eyes closed. He was exhausted.  Soda tucked the covers over Ponyboy and kissed the top of his head, "I love you Ponyboy."