𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒. ( 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘺 )

coming home to you

Stepping off the plane and traveling into the airport, Ponyboy takes a deep breath, chilly air filling his lungs. The redhead was finally glad to be back home, even if it was just for the holiday season. Thanksgiving all the way past New Years.

He was in his second year of college, working extra hard to be able to become what he wanted. The male wanted to be an author, but journaling was a close second, seeing as there really wasn't an author course.

Although this course was helpful. It gave him an insight on a lot of things. He was very thankful to have the teacher that he did. She was wonderful in every sense of the word.

The 21-year-old grabs his luggage once he manages to track it down, humming softly. He slips his backpack over his shoulders while he drags the suitcase on its wheels.

Someone from the gang was supposed to be picking him up. They were all still close and interactive with one another's lives. He wasn't all that surprised. They've all been a close-knit group for as long as he could remember.

He had known all of them for what seemed like his entire life. Soda and Darry were obvious because they were brothers, Two-Bit helped the younger redhead after getting beat up by some jerks at school and was instantly introduced, Johnny and Dallas showed up roughly around the same time, but Johnny was first, and Steve was Soda's best friend, so he was obviously there the longest out of the others.

The male's eyes scan around the airport, pursing his lips in thought. He wasn't sure who would pick him up or where they would be at. Darry only told him that someone was coming, and that his old room had been tidied up for his stay.

Soda had an apartment now, but still sometimes crashed at the house. And Darry still owned the house and kept it. He didn't see any reason in getting a new one, even after his brothers left to be somewhere else.

The redhead puffs his cheeks out. It had been a long time since he had seen anyone from the gang. He comes by for holidays every year. The male couldn't dream of spending them alone in the dorms.

But he was more than excited to see everyone.

"Hey, brat!" Someone calls.

Ponyboy found the voice to seem familiar, a bit gruff but gentle in a way, causing him to turn his head. And sure enough, there was Steve. Only he would call him something like that.

As the two got older, their senseless bickering stopped. Now it was just teasing and poking at one another for fun, not just out of spite. They both realized they needed to grow up and that being at one another's throat all of the time wasn't going to do anything.

The redhead couldn't help but grin widely, walking over with his suitcase rolling behind him. Once he got to the older male, he sticks his tongue out, a laugh bubbling up in his chest.

Ponyboy had managed to become taller than Steve, a devastating three inches, according to Steve. The brunette had been huffy when Ponyboy had surpassed him in height. Everyone had teased the older male that the baby was taller than him.

"Didn't think that Darry would send you of all people," Ponyboy teases, a hand moving to rest on his hip. "Last time I came home, Soda practically begged to be the one to get me."

"Well, no one else was free to do it," Steve responds, snickering. "Everyone else has work or was just plain busy with something else. You know how life is. I just happened to draw the short straw."

Although Steve wasn't going to mention that he took work off for this, and that everyone else was free too. Ponyboy would be harping about it for days if he knew. The whole gang had made sure that they could see the redhead when he came back home for Thanksgiving.