𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒. ( 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘺 )

dr. feelings

It was only a day later, and Steve still couldn't get Ponyboy's face out of his mind. He'd looked so defeated and the vision of it was burned into his mind. The brunette wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around the redhead and keep him close until the end of days.

He hated seeing him so sad and knowing that there wasn't any way that he could have helped him. At least he thought that there was no way that he could help him. The thought of that alone ate him up all night.

And he also thought about what Ponyboy was going to say. The younger male had said he was thinking about someone. As much as the thought hurt, Steve assumed it was someone back at college who had his heart. Ponyboy would never pick him.

The brunette was currently sitting on the couch in his apartment, Soda lounging right next to him. Despite having their own places, Soda found himself on Steve's couch often. He had grown up in a house that was full of people and their usual chatter for years and years. Going straight to silence was hard. Steve's company was always better than silence, in his opinion.

Steve was bumped out of his thoughts when Soda nudged his elbow against his ribs not once, but twice. It was a bit rough, but the older male knew that Soda just wanted his attention. He turns to his best friend, a grumpy expression on his face. One that Soda had ignored over years of friendship, being persistent as always.

"I can see the smoke coming out of your ears," the blonde teases, laughing. "You're gonna hurt your brain with all that thinking. Might knock a screw loose. What're you thinking about?"

Steve rolls his eyes.

"I ain't thinking about anything," the brunette responds, shrugging his shoulders. "I guess I just spaced out or something."

"You've been spacing out a lot lately," Soda comments. "I was trying to talk to you about my raise yesterday and you were just off in your own world. It reminds me of Ponyboy, his head's always in the clouds. I guess that's what makes him a good writer though."

Steve snickers, nodding his head. Ponyboy had always been an airhead, always thinking about anything else but what he actually needed to be thinking about. It had gotten him into loads of trouble over the years. And as much as it irritated Steve because the redhead would end up hurt, he thought that it was cute. Ponyboy was dreamy. That's just who he was. No one could ever change that about him.

The brunette had caught Ponyboy staring off into space plenty of times. It was usually when he was drawing. He used to bring that sketchbook of his into work and sit in the garage, claiming that the usual flock of girls up front would be too distracting. He wasn't really wrong, but Steve had been too thick-headed to realize that it was an excuse to sit in the garage with him. Hell, he still wasn't aware of that now. And how when Ponyboy was spacing out, it was always in his general direction. Always.

Another two jabs to his ribs from Soda's elbow.

"You're doing it again!" Soda whines, looking at his best friend with amused eyes. "I'm gonna start getting real concerned about you if you don't cut it out. Talk to me."

Steve chews at his lower lip as he looks at Soda. He didn't want the blonde to know that he was thinking about Ponyboy. The blonde would probably wring his neck on the spot. That was his baby brother, even if he was old enough to legally drink now. Although he knew well enough that Soda couldn't figure it out on his own. His best friend was one of the most oblivious people that he knew.

Soda stares at Steve with a concentrated expression, trying to rack his brain for any kind of information about why the older male would be spacing out so much. There had to be something, anything. He wouldn't be so out of it for no reason.