~My Cade~ // Johnny Cade x Reader ("the outsiders" plot base)

Dally Winston can Cry - Y/N POV

Warnings: None

Word Count: 501

Eventually, Soda retired to Ponyboy's bedroom, probably hoping that Pony hadn't heard the conversation and was about to beat the tar outa him. I didn't hear any fighting, so I assumed that Pony was asleep. I flopped onto the couch and stared at the ceiling. It was still hard to wrap my fingers around. I mean, Ponyboy was a good kid. But, I hadn't thought of him as anything but a brother or a friend. What was I going to do? I didn't want to be the one to break his heart or anything - I definitely couldn't handle him crying. I don't really know what to do when people cry. I usually just quietly rub their backs and pray they stop. 

I looked up and saw Dally grabbing a beer from the refrigerator. 

"No, you don't get any more of that," I said, swiftly snatching the bottle from his hand. "Did you see what happened to them?" Without thinking, I took a swig of the beer before promptly spitting it back into the bottle and putting it back in the fridge. That was nasty. Nope. Dally let out a small sniffle. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"What are you looking at, punk?" he asked, glowering at me and grabbing the beer. 

"Dally, you've already proved you're tough. You ain't gotta pretend you don't feel," I pressed, gripping his shoulder.

"Get off of me," he said, softly. But he didn't move my hand. Another sniffle. 

"Dallas, what's wrong?" I asked, sitting him down on the couch.

"None of your business," Dally grunted. 

"You're a good fighter, Dal, but an awful liar. Come on, man." I argued. Dally sat on the couch, elbows resting on his knees. 

"Look, it's just-" Dally began, before quickly cutting off. "Leave me alone." I stood up, but something in his eyes whispered a soft 'don't go'. I slowly sat down on the floor in front of Dally, grabbing his hands. He looked at me slowly before turning away. 

"Dally," I said. He turned to me. 

"I-" Dally said, sniffling again. "Gee, this is all my fault- I shoulda never let y'all drink. It's my fault that their friendship is ruined. My fault that Johnny's turning into his father- I just- I can't." A tear slipped down his cheek. 

"Hey, hey," I said, hugging him tightly. I don't know what to do when people cry. Especially Dallas Winston. Tough as nails. "It's alright. It's gonna be okay, Dal. We're gonna work this out, alright?" 

Dally nodded slowly, sobbing into my shoulder. I let him cry to me. It took a while to process. Dally had lived a tough life. Jailed at age ten with no father or family, and left to be independent with a whole world to explore. I imagined what it must have been like to him, growing up in the streets. A little delinquent. Seven years, he had lived like that. How could he take it? Well, I guess everybody had a breaking point. Even Dallas Winston.