Starboy - DarLas -The Outsiders

Chapter 4

Me: Sees gay fluff meter

Also me: Turns it up to max

L   e   Z   d   O   t   H   I   S

I was lying on the bed in the guest bedroom at Buck's place. The clock beside me read 12:53 am. I rubbed my eyes and stared at the ceiling. I felt lonely, and I didn't know why. I had that feeling in my chest again, that feeling you can point to and it would be over your heart. And because of it, I hadn't slept a wink that night. I couldn't stop thinking of Darry. I couldn't stop thinking about his smile, or his laugh, or how amazing it felt to hold him in my arms. Everything came back to Darry. I looked around the room, and my gaze rested on the clock. I focused my attention on the flashing red numbers, and let my mind wander. I looked at the alarm time. 7:00 am. I liked to sleep in. I wasn't one to get up early. Darry liked to get up early. Darry-

Are you fucking kidding me.

Impatient with my own mind, I got up and walked around. I walked through the halls of Buck's house, glancing at the stains on the walls and carpet. There was a big party here last night, and everyone there had destroyed the place. I was usually one of those people, most of the time playing pool. But I was feeling kind of out of it last night, and even if I wasn't I couldn't help but wish Darry was there with me. But he wasn't. So yeah.

I sat down on the tattered armchair and looked around for something to do. I could turn on the TV, but I didn't want to wake Buck. I hate being bored. I get restless easily, and I'll get myself into trouble if I'm bored for long enough. So I did the only other thing I could think of. I picked up the phone and called the Curtis house.

The phone rang repetitively as I waited anxiously for someone to answer. I don't know why I was holding the phone. There are a million other things I could have resorted too. I thought about hanging up, but it was too late.

"Hello, Curtis residence," He answered in a groggy voice. 

"Darry?" I answered.

"Hey, Dal. What are you doing up at this hour?" Darry chuckled on the other line.

I grinned. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Is everything alright? What do you need?" 

"Can't sleep." 

"Ahh."

It was silent for a minute, then Darry spoke again. "Well, I uhh..." Darry cleared his throat. "If you wanted to come over, that would be fine. I mean-uhm..."

"Thanks, man. I'll be over in fifteen." I replied coolly.

"Oh-uh-alright."

The other line went silent.

I hung up the phone. I was grinning like a lunatic, and a swarm of butterflies was attacking my stomach. I was so excited I didn't know what to do with myself, so I punched the ice box. My instant reaction turned into an instant regret as I heard glass shatter from inside the ice box.

"Dally!" Buck's angry voice shouts from upstairs.

"S-sorry!" I couldn't help but laugh. I was so excited to see Darry. It was an electric feeling that ran through my bones and up my spine and into my heart. And I wasn't even out the door. Something about being with Darry made me feel like this. It was a beautiful high, one you couldn't get from a cigarette or a drink. 

Soon enough, I was fully clothed and out the door. I hopped in my car and turned on the ignition. My heart was beating passionately and violently, it could have woken up Buck on it's own. I get like this sometimes.

The entire drive there, I couldn't stop thinking of Darry. I pulled up in front of his house and got out of the car. 

I gently knocked on the door, not wanting to wake Pony and Soda. Soon enough, the door opened and Darry was standing in front of me.

"Hey, Dal. Come on in." Darry rubbed his eyes and stepped aside, shutting the door as soon as I was inside. I sat down on the couch.

"Thanks, Darry."

"No problem." Darry said through a yawn. I took him in. He didn't look well rested at all. Not like me, but he looked like he hadn't slept for days. He was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, not what you would expect someone to be wearing in the middle of the night. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his hair was a mess because it didn't have any grease in it.

 I watched as he made his way over to the kitchen, stumbling. He collapsed, and he caught himself on the counter. I ran over to help him, and I held him in my arms. He even was shaking a little. He tried to stand up but his knees buckled and I caught him again.

"Darry, are you feeling alright, man?"

Darry drew a shaky breath and replied, "I-I'm kinda dizzy. My head and stomach hurt." He tried to stand up again, but I held him tight. 

"Just relax, Dar." Darry did as he was told, and I picked him up and carried him to his room. He was lighter than I expected. Not that he was light in general, just not heavy. 

I set him down on the bed and sat next to him. "Have you eaten anything, man?"

He looked up at me groggily. I looked into his blue eyes, which were still stormy, but in a different way. A peaceful, gentle storm. He continued thinking, trying to remember his last meal. "Um....."

I sighed, and responded, "Get comfortable, ok? I'll be right back." I got up and walked back into the kitchen. I looked through the pantry for something light Darry could eat, and found a box of Saltines. Poor Darry. The guy had worked himself to exhaustion. I grabbed a washcloth and wet it with cold water. I rung it out, and went back to Darry's room.

I laid the washcloth across Darry's forehead and set the box of crackers on his bedside table. I sat down next to Darry on the bed. 

"Can you eat some crackers for me?" I asked.

Darry slowly nodded, sat up, and grabbed the box of crackers. I adjusted my position, leaning on the headboard. We sat in silence, Darry quietly munching on the crackers. I took a deep breath and then broke the silence.

"How're you feelin'?" I asked, laying down next to him and looping an arm around him. He looked at me and froze for a minute, then snapped back to reality and replied.

"I feel better." I kept my arm around him, and Darry started to relax. "Thanks, Dal-" Darry yawned, and I couldn't help but smile a little. 

"Why don't you get some rest?" I suggested, "It's Saturday tomorrow, and you'll be able to sleep in."

Darry nodded.

Something I will always hold onto is how he gently rested his head in the crook of my shoulder and almost immediately passed out.

I was surely as red as I felt, but I didn't care. Darry was all that mattered right now.

I stared at his face. He looked younger when he was asleep. He looked peaceful. I watched him as he squirmed around in his sleep and wrapped his arm around me and continued to bury his face into my shoulder. I smiled. 

I took a moment to try and understand Darry's world. I liked seeing through other people's points of view. Darry is working like an old man at 20. He has two little brothers to take care of, not to mention the gang. I knew him to have grown up too fast under the stress. He was strong, tough, and stern. He is extremely motivated and, lets be real here, he would probably be a Soc if it wasn't for us. 

But he was a completely different person around me alone, maybe his brothers.

When it was just us, he's 20. He's still a kid. He's snarky, awkward, and somewhat petty. He's softer and kinder and more caring. He's gentle and sweet and understanding. He's empathetic and motivating. And I can tell by considering the two Darry's, I guess he's just being himself around me.

I've seen him like that around Soda. He must have felt so devastated when Soda walked out the door that day.

Careful not to disturb him, I settled down next to him and drifted off.