Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Cherry was having a good day. She had woken up early, and her mom had actually made her breakfast before she left. The roads weren't clogged for once, so she had time to grab a coffee. Plus, she only had some light paperwork, since it was Friday.

Cherry was having a good day. Until Dallas Winston walked into the community center.

“Umm..hey?” Dallas says uncertainly.

It takes everything in Cherry not to freak the fuck out. She rolls her eyes and heaves a big breath. Of-fucking-course, Dallas Winston had to bug her at work.

“Addicts anonymous is in room 2303,” She says, not looking up from her computer.

“No, I'm—”
“Anger management is in room 2305,” She cuts him off. She wills for him to just go away and leave her alone for the rest of her life.

“That's not—”
“Hey, kid,” Darrel Curtis Jr suddenly cuts in. He's panting like he ran there, still dirty from work. “Sorry I'm late, got held up. You find the room?”

Dallas looks down at his ratty shoes and shakes his head. Darry wraps an arm around his shoulders and squeezes him.

“It's gon' be alright, kid. I'm proud as hell you're doin' this at all. We can leave whenever you want, okay?”

Icy blue eyes look up at her. His face is flushed in embarrassment, no doubt from having her see and hear this. Cherry feels a bit embarrassed herself, like she's intruding on something.

Darrel leans on her desk a bit after removing himself from Dallas. “Sorry to bother, miss, but could you tell us where that therapy group is?

“Which support group are you looking for? I already let Dallas here know where AA and anger management are.”
“Okay? We ain't here for neither of those,” Darrel says curtly. She flinches at his tone, feeling a bit like a jackass.

“We're here for the, uh..” Darrel trails off, glancing at Dallas. The blonde is staring at his shoes again, his long hair covering his face.

Darrel speaks quietly, so only the three of them can hear. “The child sexual assault group? Where's that at?”

Cherry's heart plummets to her stomach. She looks in horror at Dallas, but he still hasn't looked up.

“Well?” Darrel snaps, obviously assuming that she's judging.
“R-Room 2302. I'm so sorry,” She says quickly.

Darrel gives her a sharp nod. He then gently grabs Dallas's arm and guides him deeper into the building. The hood doesn't look up from his shoes once.

Cherry sees Dallas approximately ten minutes later.

He's storming out of the room, looking beyond mad. Darrel is right behind him.

They keep that room close to the elevator for a reason. It's also close to the bathrooms. It's all to give people space if they need it. She gets people crying near her desk every day. She just never expected Dallas to be one of them.

He plops down on a bench nearby. He allows Darrel to stand over him and pull him into a tight hug. In the emotion of the moment, neither seem to notice her, nor the fact that she can hear them.

“Hey. Hey, kid, you're okay. You did good, real good,” Darrel says.

The look in Dallas's eye shows he isn't convinced.

“She ain't mean nothin' by it—”
“I'M the one that has to try!? I'M the one that has to do the work while everyone else gets to sleep peaceful?!” Dallas yells. Darry quickly grabs the teen's arms, predicting it before he starts jerking against him.

The blonde cries out, kicking and flailing. It's a completely devastating sight, one of the meanest guys in Tulsa wailing like that. Darry stays strong, clearly used to these..attacks? Breakdowns? Whatever they call them.

“I don't wanna let it go! Ain't fair, Darry! Ain't fair that I just gotta get over it!” Dallas cries, thrashing in Darrel's hold. He sounds incredibly child-like as he continues to yell about how it 'ain't fair, Dar'. The older man holds steady, but it's obvious his heart is breaking.

“I know, kid. I know,” Darrel soothes. “You ain't gotta let go, okay? You can be pissed and hurt as long as you fuckin' live. But, you gotta move on.“

Dallas calms slightly, but his face is still screwed up in pain and rage.

“Honey, you can't stay there for the rest of your life. You can't live in those memories forever, it'll kill you,” Darrel says softly.

“Baby, I want nothin' more in this life than to make those men pay, but we can't. They wanted to break you, and they're winnin' right now. You can't let that happen, Sweetface. You can't let 'em win.”

Dallas pants, trying to take deep breaths while Darrel talks. Slowly, he calms down from his bout of fury.

“Hurts..” He whimpers out childishly. That one word breaks Cherry down.

Darrel pulls the kid into a tight hug, whispering to him. She's almost disappointed she can't hear. She really shouldn't be so invested in a client, especially Dallas Winston.

Cherry gets up slowly, moving quietly to fill up a plastic cup of water. She makes her way over and taps Darrel's shoulder. He whips around fast, but doesn't stop holding Dallas.

“Water,” Is all she says. He takes it with a nod and coaxes Dallas to drink some. The teen is obviously embarrassed that she saw all that, but he can't care much in his current condition.

“You wanna go home, Sweetface?” Darrel asks softly. Dallas flushes and glances at Cherry. He clearly isn't happy with the nicknames being used around her.

He nods despite that, mumbling something neither of them hear.

“Alright. C'mon, Dal, we can try again next week.”

“Next week?” Cherry asks before she can stop herself.
Darrel narrows his eyes at her. “Yeah. We're not fuckin' quitters, ya hear? We're gonna beat this shit. Savvy?”

Cherry nods at the same time Dallas mumbles, “Savvy..”

Darrel noticeably softens at Dallas. He grabs the kid's arm and hauls him up, guiding him into the elevator.

Chapter Text

True to Darrel's word, he and Dallas are there on time next Friday. And the next Friday. And the Friday after that.

None are that different from the first attempt, with Dallas storming out about ten to twenty minutes in. Cherry imagines that's when the discussion gets personal.

He always ends up catching a fit. Darrel always has to come and bring him down. It feels terrible to call them tantrums, but Dallas does resemble a kid when he gets like that.

The most common phrases that leave his mouth are 'it ain't fair' and, heartbreakingly, 'it hurts'.

He sounds like a little kid begging for his brother to make the pain stop. She can see Darrel almost crying sometimes while he holds him. Other times, Darrel looks so fucking mad, she worries about her safety.

She's always there to bring Dallas a cup of water once he's calm. It becomes a weird routine, so much so, that she starts having the water ready when she knows Dallas is about to storm out. Every time, she sees Dallas chug the water before he asks Darrel to take him home.

This time, though, things play out different.

Dallas still storms out, still cries and rages, and still has his water. But, when Darrel suggests they leave, he shakes his head.

“Can we..go back in..?” He asks quietly. Cherry never thought she'd hear Dallas ask politely for anything.

Darrel looks so damn proud. It's radiating off of him, which makes Dallas perk up. He holds the teen's arm and guides him back into the room.

This time, Dallas manages to stay the entire hour.

When he comes out, he drops right back down on the bench. He looks exhausted, and his entire face screams 'been crying'. Darrel chats with the group leader for a bit more.

Georgia is a kind, soft-spoken older woman. She's a survivor of sex trafficking, and she always has the biggest soft spots for fellow victims of it. Her face is screwed up into a worried expression, and her eyes keep cutting over to Dallas.

Cherry swallows her anxiety about what that concern might mean.

Georgia leans closer to say something to Dallas. He gets a bit teary-eyed again. He nods and says something quietly back. She smiles and squeezes his shoulder, saying one last thing to Darrel before she leaves them be.

Cherry watches Darrel haul Dallas up like always, guiding him to the elevator by the arm.

“Hello Dallas, hello Darrel,” Cherry says without looking up. She's already spotted the platinum blonde in her periphery.

“Aw, shucks. I'm real honored you think I'm Superman,” says the voice of Two-Bit Matthews.

Cherry looks up quickly, spotting that cocky grin. Dallas has his hands shoved in his pockets, standing a bit behind him.

“What are you doin' here Two-Bit Matthews?” Cherry asks, unamused.
“Why, I'm here subbin' in for Superman. Pon's got a cold and you know how much of a mother hen he is.”

She nods. That makes sense. Darrel seems like the overprotective type. Well, if how he acts with Dallas is anything to go off of.

“Well, that's sweet o' you to be here,” She says simply.
“It's even sweeter with you here,” He responds with a wink.

Dallas somehow uses his entire body to roll his eyes, because he's just that dramatic. Or maybe Two is just that annoying.

“Let's just go, Two. I don't want you foolin' around,” He complains. It sounds awfully childish. She's starting to think the older guys just bring that out in him.

“Alright, alright. I'm comin',” Two says back, just as childishly. “Can't even have a chat anymore.”

He follows Dallas to the room where the group is held. He doesn't hold his arm like Darry does, but he does place a hand on the teen's back.

Dallas doesn't come out raging this time.
Two-Bit does.

He storms into the lobby with a look on his face that she's never seen before. It's terrifying. A happy-go-lucky guy like Two should never look like that.

Two-Bit pacing angrily for a bit. He's mumbling something she can't make out. Cherry slowly grows more anxious. Then, he punches a hole in the wall near her desk.

She yelps, and it seems he only notices her then.

“..Sorry,” He mumbles, “I'll pay for it..”

Georgia steps into the lobby, Dallas just a step behind her.

“Two-Bit..?” Dallas asks hesitantly. It's so strange to hear him like that. He almost sounds like Johnny.

“I'm sorry, kid. Lost control o' myself for a moment..” Two starts looking awfully guilty. “Didn't mean ta scare ya.”

Georgia smiles comfortingly. “It's quite alright. I understand some things might be frustrating for you to hear.”

“Bunch'a kids in there, man..bunch'a little kids!” Two-Bit cries. “Who the hell does shit like that to a bunch'a little kids!?”

“Monsters do,” Georgia says. “Unfortunately, we live on an Earth with too many of 'em.”

“Ain't fuckin' fair, man,” Two-Bit says. Cherry stops; somehow, it sounds strange when anyone except Dallas says it.

“Those kids know that more than anyone, Keith,” Georgia says.

Two has to take a minute or so to breathe deeply. Dallas comes over and tugs his sleeve.

“We can go home if ya want..”

Two-Bit takes one more big breath, then throws his arm around Dallas and squeezes.

“Nah, kid. If Superman can sit through it, then I definitely gotta. Can't let him show me up!” Two jokes, his grin back on in record time.

“Go on back in and tell your friends that I ain't kill nobody.”

Dallas rolls his eyes, but listens and heads back into the room. Two-Bit's grin drops immediately. He grits his teeth and takes slow, steady breaths again. Georgia stays with Two-Bit while he gathers himself. Once he does, he forces the grin back on and follows her back inside.

The next Friday, Darry is back with an envelope in hand.

“From Two-Bit, for the wall,” He says, sounding annoyed.
Dallas tenses next to him. “Can't believe he punched a wall..”

Darry squeezes the arm he's holding, speaking softly, “Ain't your fault, kid. Two just don't know how the hell to control his emotions.”

“It's alright, I understand the feeling,” Cherry says. She knows the rage when she hears one of her friends was harassed. She imagines it increases ten-fold with assault.

“It ain't alright,” Darry snaps. “He's here for support, not to freak out the kid and everyone else in the room.”

“He did good the second half..” Dallas says quietly. Darry sighs, his body sagging.

“Just c'mon kid. You ain't gotta defend that knucklehead.”

He leaves the envelope on Cherry's desk and guides Dallas into the meeting room.

Chapter Text

Cherry has gotten way too used to seeing Dallas in the community center. So much so, that seeing him at the drive-in gives her a genuine scare.

He's with Pony, Johnny, and Tim Shepard. The two older teens are obviously arguing while the younger ones snack on popcorn and watch like they're the movie.

Something sparks a bit of confidence in her. She walks over to them and taps Dallas on the shoulder. The way he whips around makes her flinch, but he relaxes when he sees her.

“Cherry. Hey,” He says, almost awkwardly. Cherry can't fault him, considering she's seen him cry multiple times now.

Tim whistles lowly and leans his elbow on Dallas's shoulder. “Damn, Dal, where'd you find a girl like that? Do she got friends?”

Dallas goes pink in the cheeks and shoves him off. “Ain't no girls like that wanna get with a low-life hood.”

The two of them start wrestling with each other. Tim gets Dallas in a headlock, but Dallas kicks him so hard he lets go.

“Guess that rules you out too, you low-life hood,” Tim says with a smirk.

Dallas slugs him hard in the shoulder. “Fuck off.”

“Dal?” Johnny speaks up, “Can we go see the movie now?”

Something in Dallas's eyes softens like butter. Everyone in Tulsa knows that Johnny Cade is the only thing Dallas Winston cares about. You fuck with him, you get your ass beat.

“Yeah, c'mon, let's go,” Dallas says while turning on his heel.
“C'mon kiddies!” Tim echoes.

Pony sighs and rolls his eyes. Johnny just happily follows along.

Cherry buys her own snacks and makes a decision. She actively seeks out the boys and plops down next to Dallas. He jerks to look at her again—god, that guy is easily startled.

“Just me again,” She says teasingly. He flushes that pink again and looks away.

Johnny leans over to smile at her. “Heya, Cherry.”
“Hi Johnny. Hi Pony,” She says sweetly to the boys.

“Hi, Cherry,” Pony says with a dumb grin. The kiddie crush he has on her hasn't gone away yet.

“Damn, since when do all y'all know a pretty soc girl?” Tim asks. Dally reaches over to flick him, and the two almost begin fighting again.

Thankfully, the boys in between them pipe up.

“She used to date one of the guys that jumped Johnny, the guy with the rings,” Pony explains.
“She already apologized for him and everything,” Johnny says quietly. He's more so talking to Dallas, who's eyes have gotten dark at the mention of Bob.

“She just has real bad taste, huh?” Tim jokes.

Dallas almost gets up to punch him, when Cherry places a hand on his arm. For all the flirting he does, Dallas really doesn't know what to do when someone flirts with /him/.

“I work at the community center. I see Dallas every week,” Cherry says.

Tim chews his lip and nods. It makes Cherry wonder if he knows what Dallas is going for. Pony and Johnny's eyes both flick to the blonde, as if waiting for him to deny or fight it. He doesn't, he just nods a bit.

Tim's eyes get all dark and cloudy, exactly like Dally's eyes get around Johnny.

“C'mon,” Dallas says while smacking Tim's arm, “I need a refill.”

He grabs his still-full coke and walks towards the concession stand. Tim doesn't question anything, just follows along.

Johnny has to physically keep Pony from following. He has no such claim on Cherry, though.

Perhaps it's unprofessional, but she's never claimed to be otherwise. Just because she's a soc doesn't mean she's immune to curiosity.

She sneaks around until she's close enough to hear. They're talking in quick, hushed voices, practiced from years in juvie and jail.

“And that's goin' good? Like, it's helping?” Tim asks.

“Sometimes it don't feel like it is, but, in the end, it does. Darry's talking about actual therapy if his insurance goes through.”

Tim scratches his chin and nods. “That's good. That's real good…y'know, you could've told me all that shit sooner.”

“Could I?” Dallas challenges. “We ain't exactly friends.”

“But we ain't sworn enemies. I wouldn't make a joke outta that shit. It disgusts me what happened to you, it would disgust anyone.”

Dallas rolls his eyes. “I don't need that, Tim. Fuckin' people fawning over me like I'm glass? I don't need it.”

“Dal, that shit your dad did—”
“Don't. Don't fuckin' talk like you know what's like, because you don't. You've heard about it, yeah. But I had to fucking live it.”

Tim looks almost pained at this point. Meanwhile, Cherry is reeling at the mention of Dallas's father. Statistically, she knows most sexual abuse is done by family members, but still. To your own kid? Your own son?

“Dal, I ain't mean it like that..I just..I just don't know how to help you, man,” Tim says, defeated.

Cherry has once again underestimated the community the greasers have. Clearly, Dallas has plenty of people that care for him.

“Just be cool, man. Don't..don't look at me different..” Dallas says quietly, almost pleading.

“Alright..alright, man. Savvy.”
“Savvy.”

The two of them nod with finality and head back to the movie.

Cherry feels so sick that she has to wait awhile before rejoining them.

This week, Dallas walks in like normal, except, he's alone.

“Where's Superman?” Cherry asks.
“Work emergency. The paycheck is gonna be insane,” He explains with a smirk.

“No one else could come with you?”

“I'm not a kid, I can handle myself. Besides, Two got banned after last time, and the only other option was Tim.” The way Dallas says Tim's name would make a stranger think they aren't best friends.

Cherry rolls her eyes at his dramatics. “Everyone else was busy too?”
“I'm not babysitting some kid while I'm here, I don't need that shit.”

“Isn't Soda older than you—”
“See ya in an hour, Cherry!” Dallas cuts her off, walking towards the meeting room.

Cherry just shakes her head, trying not to feel fond of his antics.

She sees Dallas only twenty minutes later. He plops right down on the bench and digs the heels of his hands into his eyes. He's muttering something under his breath.

Georgia pops out of the room. Cherry makes eye contact with her and shoos her away, mouthing 'I'll handle him'.

With a nod, the older woman heads back to her group.

Cherry cautiously approaches Dallas, sitting next to him on the bench. She reaches out to touch his arm.

“Dallas—”
“Don't fucking touch me!” He yells, jerking away from her.

She flinches back. All she can do is watch as Dallas breaks down. He pulls his knees up to his chest and just sobs.

Cherry just sits there, her hand still hovering for a good minute. She tries to think, what did the others do?

She puts a firm hand on Dally's arm and squeezes. He doesn't push her away this time. She grabs his other arm just as tightly, and pulls him into the tightest hug she can manage.

At first, Cherry thinks she's getting shoved away again, but then, Dallas relaxes. He buries his face in her shirt and just cries. She keeps her grip tight as she rocks him, shushing him like Darry usually does.

It takes a good ten minutes for Dallas's tears to stop and his breathing to get under control.

Cherry pulls away slowly to grab him some water. While he chugs that, she dials the number for the Curtis house.

“Howdy, this is the Curtis residence,” says Sodapop.

“Hey, Sodapop.”
“Oh! Heya Cherry, how's it—okay, okay! Pony says hi.”

“Well, hello to him, too,” She says with a small smile. “I'm calling from the community center.”

She can physically hear Soda's smile drop off his face.

“Is Dally alright? It was his first time goin' alone. He wouldn't let me come,” Soda says, sounding partly bitter.

“He's fine. I just got him calmed down—”
“He had another episode?”

That's the second time someone has called them 'episodes'. Cherry files that away.

Cherry replies, “He looks pretty tuckered out.”
“Gimme ten minutes, I'll be there.”

It's the first time she's heard Soda sound serious about anything. She doesn't know if that's comforting or terrifying.

He hangs up before either of them can say 'bye'. Cherry sits quietly with Dallas until the older teen shows up.

Soda leans in to talk quietly with Dallas for a bit. Cherry can faintly make out words like 'okay', 'episode', and 'home'. Then, Soda tightly grips his arm and hauls him up.

Dallas leans into his side while Soda bids her goodbye. She smiles weakly and nods, trying not to notice how strung out Dallas looks.

As they leave, she hears Soda again.

“Let's get you home, sweetface. It'll go better next week.”

Cherry gets back to her actual job, trying to block out thoughts of a blue-eyed blonde.

Chapter Text

After the disaster last week, Dallas never shows up alone again.

Darry remains a steady presence at his side. He never strays, never takes another week off.

Obviously, Dallas’s episodes are much more serious than Cherry thought.

That’s not to say progress doesn’t continue. Soon enough, Darry starts sitting outside of the room.

Just like the build up to staying the full hour, being in the room alone also takes time. Georgia always comes out and grabs Darry after a few minutes.

It’s kind of nice to have someone to talk to, even if it’s only for a bit. She gets to learn more about the Curtis family and the strays they adopt.

Cherry doesn’t know how Darry does it. He takes care of his two little brothers, Two-Bit, Soda’s best friend Steve Randle, Pony's best friend Johnny Cade, and Dallas Winston.

Cherry can barely take care of herself. Caring for that many teenagers, all with their own issues, it makes her tired just thinking about it.

She says so to Darry multiple times.

“It’s thankless work, but it’s worth it to me,” He had responded.

Over the weeks—months—of Dallas coming to the support group, somehow Cherry has befriended Darry. Close enough that she’s invited to dinner.

“I’ll make sure to tell the boys to be on their best behavior. It’s good food and good company.”

At first, Cherry is hesitant. She makes it a point to not frequent the greaser’s side of town. She knows she’s a young woman—but now, after spending so much time around Dallas, she knows things can be worse.

Perhaps, she judged them too harshly. It’s hard to admit when you’ve fallen for stereotypes, but Cherry acknowledge when she’s wrong.

Their house is..interesting. It’s certainly nothing like her own two-story townhouse. She desperately pushes down her judgement as she navigates the clutter up to the porch.

The door is unlocked, so she just lets herself in.

She’s met with absolute chaos.

Pony and Steve are screaming and wrestling on the floor.
The TV is blasting Mickey Mouse, and Two-Bit is reciting the entire episode by heart.
Soda is loudly whining to Johnny about something.

The only person who isn’t involved in the chaos is Dallas. He’s curled up under a blanket in the armchair. A worn copy of Jane Austen’s ‘Sense and Sensibility’ in his hands.

What shocks Cherry the most, though, are the round, wire framed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

 They’re really…cute.

Cherry blushes at the thought, cursing her traitorous brain.

Darry pokes his head out fm the kitchen. He’s in a pink apron and has a spatula in hand. He’s the first one to spot her.

“Cherry! Welcome in!”

All eyes suddenly snap to her. Cherry feels a bit like prey.

Pony scrambles up of the floor. “Ch-Cherry! Hey..”

Johnny smiles and waves.

“Hi, Pony. Hi Johnny.”

“‘Heya, Cherry! Nice to see ya!” Soda says.

“Real nice to see ya,” Two says, earning a smack from Steve.

“Stop bein’ a fuckin’ perv, man.”

“Oh! That’s Steve!” Soda introduces for him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. The boy just grumbles, but doesn’t push him away.

“You’re Steve? I’ve heard a lot about you from Pony.” Not many good things, she doesn’t say.

Steve’s eyes snap to the fourteen-year-old. “That so?”

Pony audibly gulps. “W-We-Well, ya see—“

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence before Steve lunges. Pony yelps and hits the ground running. Steve chases him down the hall and out of her view.

“Okay, then..” Cherry just takes a seat near Johnny, which happens to be near the armchair.

Dallas is pointedly not looking at her. His ears are completely pink. She smiles despite herself—his embarrassment is honestly very cute.

“Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors,” She says.

Dallas shrugs, still not looking at her. “She’s alright.”

Cherry refuses to give up so easily. “Is that one your favorite of her works?”

Dallas stubbornly doesn’t look up from the page he isn’t reading. “Persuasion is her best one.”

“You think so? I’m partial to Pride and Prejudice.”

“It’s a close second,” Dallas says, finally looking up. There’s something about seeing those blue eyes behind his glasses that makes her flush.

“Really? Everyone I know ranks it first.”

“So, you’ll also be shocked to hear that Mansfield is my number three.”

“No! Really?” Cherry says with genuine shock. All of her friends rank it at the bottom. They find Franny boring and unrelatable.

“A dirt poor girl trying to keep her sense of identity while being abused by her family? Struggling to fit into the role and life she was forced into? Yeah, that’s top three for me,” Dallas rants.

Cherry nods along. Of course, Dallas found connection in Franny. And of course, her friends couldn’t find that connection.

It makes her feel a bit guilty.

“You know who Jane Austen always reminds me of? Louisa May Alcott.”

Cherry is taken aback when Dallas lights up. At the same time, the boys all groan.

Steve slides back into the room and points a finger at her. “Do not! Do not get him started on Little Women!”

Cherry frowns. Dallas Winston? The Dallas Winston has picked up Little Women?

“Sorry Dal, but I don’t think I can sit through another rant about Beth or Maggie—“ Two bit is cut off by a sharp—

“Meg, you idiot.”

“That’s crazy that I don’t give a fuck,” Steve snarks. “Take it somewhere else, nerd.”

Dallas slams his book closed, standing up. Steve quickly skids to the other end of the room farthest from him.

“Fine! Maybe I will!” Dallas storms deeper into the house.

Cherry stares for a bit, before standing and following him. She ends up heading to the basement—which might be a bad idea.

She’s met with a fully decorated and furnished bedroom.

On one side of the room, there’s posters of cars and girls. The shelves are stuffed with mechanic manuals and car models. The bed is covered in stuffed animals, and the sheets are…

“Dinosaurs?”

Dallas scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Steve is a literal child.” He flops onto his own bed with a huff.

Cherry turns to attention to Dallas’s side of the room. She gazes in awe at his bookshelves. Unlike Steve, Dallas has multiple shelves, all packed with well-loved books.

She slowly traces the worn spines. Smiling as she recognizes a lot of her favorites among them.

Her smiles grows into a grin, and she pulls out Dallas’s copy of ‘Little Women’. It’s his most loved book among the entire mini-library. She flips through it, and finds herself shocked again.

Slowly, she traces the gorgeous cursive handwriting inside the book.

“Your handwriting is beautiful.”

Dallas’s head snaps up, his ears growing pink again. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“The the sticky notes. I didn’t know you wrote like that.”

I didn’t know greasers could write like that, she doesn’t say. Then, she feels terribly guilty for the thought.

“It’s just writing,” Dallas says dismissively.

Cherry hums. She sits near him on the bed, reading carefully through the notes he left.

She doesn’t know how long they stay like that, just silently reading next to each other. The only sound is their breathing and the flipping of pages.

Every once in a while, one of Dallas’s notes with punch the breath right out of her with how profound it is. Why the hell isn’t this kid in school? Why isn’t he prepping for college?

Opportunity. That’s the only answer she has.

The guilt already sitting heavily in her stomach only grows.

They both jump when Soda yells down the stairs that dinner is ready.

Dallas sets down his book with a huff. Cherry finds herself following him again, back up the stairs and to the kitchen.

It’s a tight squeeze to jam another chair at the table. Cherry ends up between Dallas and Johnny—not a bad spot to be in.

A plate of spaghetti a slapped down in front of her. Darry hovers over with some cooked veggies.

“How do you take your vegetables?” He asks.

“Oh, you can just—“ She pushes her plate towards him. With a smile, a ladle-full is plopped onto her plate.

Looking around, she understands why he asked.

Steve and Johnny take their veggies on their plate, too. As does Pony, but his are cut smaller and mixed into his food so he can’t avoid them.

Two-Bit is currently arguing with Darry.

“I’m actually allergic to anything healthy, Dar! You see how I’m breakin’ out!”

“Two, I am going to smack you upside the head with this pot.”

Cherry giggles under her breath. They clearly have this argument often.

Finally, Dallas does have veggies, but his are in a separate bowl. She also notices his mix is completely void of any carrots.

At first, she thinks it’s an allergy thing. But she realizes it was scooped out of the same pot. Darry just picked all the carrots out like Dallas was a kid.

Swallowing the food in her mouth, she jokes to Dallas. “Not a big fan of carrots?”

He tenses up next to her. Did she say the wrong thing?

“It makes me nauseous,” He mutters.

As much as she wants to push, she instead focuses on her own food.

The rest of dinner is nothing like anything she’s experienced.

Pony whines about his veggies. Steve smacks him whenever he gets too loud. Soda laughs long and hard every time Two makes a joke. By the end of the night, Darry actually does smack Two-Bit up the head. Even Johnny quietly cracks a joke every once-in-a while, usually after Dallas makes a sarcastic comment.

Cherry has never laughed as much as she has during dinner.

It’s nothing like the silent dinners at her house. Or the lunches with friends filled with tension, gossip, and subtle insults.

This feels so much more like a real family, a real home.

After dinner, everyone piles onto the couches in the living room. Darry brings over plates of chocolate cake.

Cherry is squeezed onto the edge of the sofa. Steve is on the opposite end, Soda is right next to him (of course). Pony is in the middle, and Johnny next to him.

Two-Bit has sprawled on the floor at their feet.

The armchair houses Darry and Dallas. The blonde is tucked under Darry’s arm, basically in his lap.

One of the biggest things she’s learning about Dallas is his love of touch. It’s clearly his love language.

She spends more time watching the family joke and laugh. They trade insults and smacks, always with smiles on their faces.

Too soon, plates are being collected. The younger kids are shooed away to get ready for bed. It’s Soda’s night on dish-duty, which means Steve is also in the kitchen.

At some point, Dallas disappears. He comes back with a copy of ‘Jane Eyre’.

“Since you like Pride and Prejudice..” He sounds almost shy.

Cherry can’t keep the smile off her face as she takes the book. “I’ll let you know what I think.”

Two-Bit suddenly whistles. “Alright, lovebirds, break it up. I gotta get the lady home.”

Dallas turns completely red and scowls at Two-Bit. Cherry’s own cheeks feel hot at the call out.

Then, she’s distracted by what he said.

“What?”

“You really think we’d make you walk home alone?” Darry asks, putting on his jacket. “We’ll drive you.”

“Oh, thank you,” She says, a bit taken aback. She hadn’t even thought about her walk home with the sun setting.

After one final round of goodbyes, she finds herself in Darry’s pick up truck. She’s by the window, leaving Two-Bit in the middle.

For once, his voice isn’t so loud as they chat about anything.

“You should just ignore Pony, he always complains at dinner,” Two says.

“Yeah, I noticed,” She responds. Then, she remembers the carrots. “Um..forgive me for asking, but..what’s with Dallas and the carrots? Is he allergic?”

Darry grips the steering wheel a bit tighter. Two-Bit pauses, as if gathering his words.

“Well..I don’t think it’s my shit to tell,” Two says hesitantly, glancing at Darry.

“Some foods trigger episodes,” Darry says bluntly. Even Two seems surprised at the reveal.

“She’s seen Dallas have episodes before. She’s helped him down from them before. I doubt her knowing some of his triggers is a bad thing.”

“Well, when you put it like that..” Two trails off.

 Cherry just nods, her curiosity dampened. She hadn’t even known food /could/ be a trigger.

For trauma to ruin something as essential as food for someone? It makes her a bit nauseous.

The rest of the car ride is quiet. Two-Bit turns on the radio to fill the silence, but Cherry can’t really hear it.

Tim’s voice is in the back of her head. “That shit your dad did.”

His dad. His own dad ruined food for him.

Cherry pictures her own father. A stoic and soft-spoken man. She finds she can’t even imagine him raising his voice, let alone hurting her in any way.

That stone of guilt that had been building in her gut all night is still there.

All day she hears her friends complain about their parents.

How mean they are. How strict and overbearing.

“My mom is so obsessed with me! She just won’t leave me alone!”

“Ugh, my dad just doesn’t understand me!”

“My parents are total jerks!”

She’s not guilt-free either. Cherry can’t count the amount of times she’s slammed her door in her mother’s face or rolled her eye at her dad.

She didn’t know it could be worse.

Didn’t realize some kids don’t have parents, and can only rely on other kids. She didn’t realize for some people, their parents are their greatest enemies.

Some kids are beaten, starved, or…abused. Like Johnny is, like Steve was, like-like Dallas was.

When they pull up to her house, her mind is still reeling.

“Thank you,” She mutters, reaching for her door.

“Cherry,” Darry starts. “We all feel some type ‘o way about it. But, feelin’ guilty ain’t how you deal with it. We gotta be there for ‘em, be their support system while they heal. Savvy?”

Cherry blinks away tears. “S-Savvy..”

Darry nods. “Have a good night, kid.”

She hums, quickly getting out and heading into her house.

The next morning, at breakfast, the first thing she does is ask her father about his week.

For once, it’s not so quiet.
For once, she feels very grateful for the life she has.

Chapter Text

Dallas hates to admit it, but he actually enjoys going to group.

When Soda first brought it up, he didn’t think much of it. Obviously, Darry did, because he actually found a place with a support group for people like Dallas.

The thought was off-putting. He didn’t want to be trapped in a room with strangers and forced to reveal all the things he doesn’t want to remember. His multiple breakdowns the first few weeks proved how stressed he was by the idea.

Thankfully, he was able to build tentative relationships. Both with the other “survivors” (as Georgia calls them) and Georgia herself. Dallas has always been a bit of a sucker for mother figures.

Slowly, over the course of all their meetings, Dallas actually found he felt better. Shocker, talking about his feelings actually helped him heal.

He got to meet people he relates to, and they all build each other up.

Today, their usual formula is different.

Instead of meeting at the community center, they’re waiting outside it. They’re apparently going on a field trip.

Darry remains a steady presence at his side. He’s never missed a day ever since Dally’s latest breakdown. He’s also acting as a chaperone, since most of the people in the group are underage.

Darry once said he tries not to think about that fact.

 Now, they’re all piling into a bus and headed to a museum. Not exactly Dally’s idea of a fun day out, but still. Darry seems excited, at least.

He spends most of the trip just staring out of the window and ignoring everyone else.

Meanwhile, Darry is more social. He strikes up conversations with many of the “survivors “ and Georgia.

Dally doesn’t know how he does it, he gets tired just thinking about talking that much.

When they get there, Darry keeps a firm grip on his forearm. Dallas has always been too proud to admit he wants to hold hands when he’s nervous. The arm hold is a bit of a compromise of his wants and his pride.

Georgia talks to the employees for a bit, before they’re beckoned inside.

Immediately, Dallas realizes he should’ve paid more attention when Georgia was explaining that morning. This isn’t a regular museum.

Hanging all over the walls are clothes. 

School uniforms, kiddie pajamas, hoodies, sweatpants, crop-tops, skirts, dresses—anything you can think of. Next to each outfit is a small card that tells a story.

“All of you, feel free to walk around a bit. Remember your limits. If you feel yourself getting triggered, please come find me or one of the chaperones,” Georgia says before dismissing them.

Darry looks at him with a raised eyebrow. It takes longer than he’d like for Dally to gain the courage to head deeper into the museum.

Darry follows, only a step behind, as the boy explores.

Being here is making Darry a bit sick. Just seeing the proof of how little your clothes matter when it comes to rape is..it’s nauseating. The amount of pajamas, church dresses, and cartoon shirts clearly made for kids hanging on the walls…

He can’t even bring himself to step closer to read their stories.

All he can imagine is a tiny Dallas Winston wearing any one of those outfits. Too Small, too fragile, and too young.

His heart breaks all over again.

Meanwhile, Dallas leans in to read every card. His face is carefully neutral as he squints to read every detail of each assault.

My neighbor…

For me, it was my uncle…

I never thought my brother…

My mom…

My dad. My dad. My dad, my dad, my dad.

Each person recalls their experiences in such vivid detail. It makes Dallas feel..strange.

Most of his experience with…with rape…was spent dissociated to hell. He doesn’t remember how many times it happened. He has no idea the details of what happened to him.

Four years of his life are just—poof—gone.

The few times it happened after those four years is barely there, too. Georgia says it’s a defense mechanism. Whenever Dallas feels like he’s going to be assaulted, his brain just shuts off so he doesn’t remember it.

Invalidated.

That’s the word Pony used when he said he didn’t feel like a real “survivor”. Shouldn’t he remember the most terrible things that have happened to him? Everyone else at group and at this museum seemed to.

He wouldn’t be able to write down his experience on a little card. He has no idea what he was wearing.

All Dallas remembers is the fear and the pain.

Well, that’s not true. He knows some details.

He knows he was six, living in a rat infested apartment with his da.

His mama had just died a few months earlier from a drug overdose. Da was angry, lonely, and drunk more often than not. It seems that just beating Dallas wasn’t giving him enough serotonin.

Not to mention, Dallas looks almost exactly like his mama. They have the same pale blonde hair, same icy blue eyes, and the same too-skinny build.

The memory gets hazy, after that.

He remembers Da climbing into his small mattress with him. He remembers tight, bruising touches. He remembers his tears and blood sticking to his skin.

Dallas has no idea how many times Da did it before he started renting his son out to his friends.

It wasn’t until Dally went to juvie the first time that he feels like he woke up. Escaping Da was now the only thing on his mind.

When he got out, he climbed down the fire escape. He only took a few objects with him as he ran far away from that horrible apartment.

The next few years were filled with hunger, fear, and crime. Dallas went to juvie multiple times, joined a gang, and then went to prison for the very first time at fifteen.

He was only raped once in prison, by a well-known pedophile

Dallas was lucky. His gang was a tight-knit one. Once their leader heard what happened, the man was killed in the showers. Suddenly, Dallas had sort-of body guards keeping him safe.

Dallas doesn’t remember much of prison, either.

He hopped on a train left New York only a year later. Someone snitched and everyone in their gang ran for the winds.

He traveled around for a while before finally landing in the shitty town in OK that he’s grown to love.

He heads back to Darry’s side, deciding he’s had enough of the stories. Immediately, there’s a firm grip on his arm. (Instead of pain, there is now comfort in the tight touches).

“You ready to go, kid?” Darry asks softly.

“Yeah..let’s go.”

The bus ride back is just as full of chatter. Everyone wants to talk about the “profoundness” and how much they “relate.”

Dallas is silent as ever. There’s something nagging in the back of his head, and he keeps glancing at Darry.

Dally’s entire life has been defined by fear and pain. He’s allowed—even encouraged—those emotions to control him.

He doesn’t want that anymore.

Darry jumps when he feels a sudden grip on his hand. Looking back, he sees Dallas still looking out of the window.

Darry looks down at where they’re holding hands and at Dally’s bright pink ears. Wisely, he decides not to comment, but he does squeeze the boy’s hand.

He smiles when he feels Dallas squeeze back.

Chapter Text

If you told Cherry a few months ago that she would be willingly hanging out with Dallas Winston? She would probably have an aneurysm.

And yet, here she is, having lunch with the guy.

Cherry has seen so many sides of him that she never knew existed. After learning everything she has about him, she thinks she might have misjudged the guy. 

Who would’ve thought he was such a nerd anyway?

Cherry really shouldn’t be so endeared with him, but Dallas just gets under your skin. Hearing him ramble about Little Women is so—not attractive. Cute.

It’s cute. He’s cute.

Not in that way—oh whatever.

His food has been completely forgotten in favor of dissecting the heartbreak that was Beth’s death. (Cherry wouldn’t be surprised if he cried while reading it). Meanwhile, she’s too busy staring at him to realize her own food is going cold, too.

Examining his face, she can’t help but notice the bruising around his eye.

“What’s that?” She interrupts.

Dally’s eyebrows scrunch. “What’s what?”

“The bruise. How’d you get it.”

“Oh,” Dallas brings a hand up to his eye. “Tim is an ass, that’s all.”

Cherry frowns. “Aren’t you and Tim friends? You seemed to get along at the movies.”

Dallas shrugs, picking at his fries. He mulls over his words for a bit. How do you describe a relationship like theirs?

“Tim and I..I guess, we’re buddies. But, that don’t mean we don’t fight. Think of it as blowing off steam. Whenever one of us has too much energy, we take it outside.”

“I don’t get it. Why fight if you’re friends?” Cherry asks.

“It’s better we fight each other than start somethin’ with someone more dangerous.”

Cherry shakes her head. “I’ve never heard of anything like that.”

“Yeah, because when socs are stressed, they don’t fight each other. They just jump whatever greaser they see first,” Dallas says bitterly.

He regrets it when Cherry flinches, but he doesn’t know how to apologize.

“Listen, me and Tim get each other. He’s always been..protective. Ever since I got here. I say he picked me up like a stray cat and dropped me on the Curtis’s doorstep.”

“Yeah, I guess he is a bit like your brother, too,” Cherry says absentmindedly.

“I lived with him when I first got here, then at Buck’s. Actually,” Dallas shrugs off his jacket.

Cherry tries not to stare at the skin he reveals.

He flips the collar around for her to see. Carved into the leather, in jagged writing, is ‘TIM’.

Her jaw almost drops upon seeing it. “That’s his?”

Dallas smirks, proudly stating, “Stole it from him, and he never managed to steal it back.”

Cherry giggles. She doesn’t say it out loud, but that’s such a baby-brother crime. She steals her own brother’s clothes all the time.

She has no doubt that Tim decided to just let Dallas keep it.

It’s a bit disappointing when he slips the jacket back on. She could’ve stared at those arms forever.

“I’m guessin’ you socs ain’t that close?” Dallas asks.

“N-No, not really. It’s every man for themselves, mostly,” Cherry says. “I know you guys are a lot more tight knit.”

“We don’t got nobody but ourselves. No one’s coming to help us but us,” Dallas says matter-of-factly.

“Right..well, I’m sorry..”

“For what?”

“I don’t know. Everything?”

“Ain’t your fault. You done more than most have.”

“It doesn’t feel like enough,” She says dejectedly.

Dallas reaches over to squeeze her hand. “It is enough. Just trust me on that.”

Cherry tries to calm her beating heart. “O-Okay..if you say so.”

When Dallas pulls away, she can still feel the heat of his hand. The feeling of his long fingers and scarred palms.

Oh god, she’s in deep.

Then, Dallas grins, showing off his sharp canines. “Y’know, the first time I met Tim, I punched him because he said I looked like a Barbie doll.”

They talk for hours after, about life and memories. As it gets late, Dallas offers her a ride home in Buck’s t-bird. Cherry doesn’t know why, but she takes it. She just wants to spend as much time as possible with him.

Isn’t that something?
Someone she previously wanted nothing to do with. Now, she can’t get enough of him.

She knows her father is suspicious of the blonde hood that drops her off. Thankfully, he doesn’t ask, even thought she knows he wants to.

Her biggest fear is that he sees it in her eyes.

Cherry is falling in love with Dallas Winston.