The Outsiders Headcanons/Short Stories [COMPLETED]

Short Story: Shared Dream

A/N: You can probably tell by now that I REALLY love fluffy/comfort one shots 😂 I have a bunch of these kinds of one shots on my Notes but some are just too cringey to post. Enjoy this one that, again, I wrote over the summer.

Sodapop's POV

Even though I'm the bawl baby of the family, I rarely get nightmares. It's Ponyboy who gets them the most.

When I do get nightmares, I don't show it very much. I have an uncomfortable look on my face. Sometimes I whisper to myself or tears stream down my face, or at least that's what Darry says.

Ponyboy's nightmares are a whole different ball game. He's a lot more active in his dreams. He'll kick me very hard and he'll cry and scream in his sleep. I have to admit, it's a lot more scary to watch Pony have a nightmare than me.

One night, there was a storm. Pony had requested for me to hold him. Of course, I agreed. I climbed into his bed with him and wrapped my arm around Pony's waist, then fell asleep quickly.

                               ---

A fire had started in the house. Darry and I were cooking and pan caught on fire. Darry panicked and dropped the burning pan, which started the fire. I don't why, but we had no time to get Ponyboy, who was in our room.

The gang and us ran out of the house. Looking at it, the entire house was now on fire. That's when I realized it: Johnnycake and Ponyboy were still inside!

At this time, the firemen arrived. I tried to run  back in the house, but the firemen and Darry kept pushing me away. "It's much to dangerous to go in there." One of them said. "But my kid brother and friend's in there!" I cried, tears starting to fall. "We're looking for them, son."

I fell to my knees and started sobbing. All I wanted was Ponyboy and Johnny. Then, I heard a scream. A scream loud enough to wake me.

                                ---

I shot up from my sleep. Tears were still running down my cheeks. Wiping them away swiftly, I looked over at Ponyboy. He was wide awake, and was screaming bloody murder. "Shh, Ponyb-boy..." I said, still spooked from my dream. "I'm right here. What's wrong, honey?" It was hard to comfort someone after you had just woken up from a bad dream.

Ponyboy calmed down eventually and looked up at me. "I had a real bad dream." He said sadly. I looked a little puzzled. "That's kinda odd." I said. Pony's lip quivered. "What is?" "I just woke up from a bad dream, too." "You did? What was it about?"

I looked over at the clock. It was 2:45am. "It's kinda late. We'll talk about it at breakfast." I said. "Okay."

                             ---

Ponyboy and I were the last to get up the next morning, which meant that we had to clean up the breakfast dishes. I wasn't too surprised, though. We were both up in the middle of the night because of nightmares.

Darry put out the usual: eggs, each a different style, and chocolate cake.

In the mornings, if we had time, we'd share our dreams. Darry rarely remembers his dreams. If he does, they don't usually make sense. I remember my dreams every morning, but I usually forget them later on. When Ponyboy shares his dreams, 90% of the time, they're nightmares.

"What did ya dream last night, Superman?" I asked Darry during breakfast. "Can't really remember." He replied. "'Bout you, Pepsi-Cola?" "I had a nightmare." I admitted. "I had a nightmare, too." Ponyboy said.

Darry looked at us, confused. "Both of you had nightmares?" He asked. I nodded as I took a bite of chocolate cake. "Ponyboy I'm used to, but you, Sodapop?" I nodded. Darry knows that I don't get them as often as Pony does.

"You can tell your dream first, Ponyboy." I said. Ponyboy bit his lip, which was quivering.

"Th-There was a fire and Johnny and I were trapped in my room." He whimpered. We were real scared. Johnny was shakin' like a leaf. An-and then the fire entered the room. Then I heard Soda crying out for Johnny and I and the firemen were tellin' him no and-"

"Wait a second." I interrupted Pony. "I-I think I had the same dream as Ponyboy." Darry and Ponyboy stared at me, their mouthes wide open.

"Say your dream, Soda." Darry told me. I swallowed hard. The dream scared me real bad.

"Darry dropped a burning pan by accident, and the whole kitchen caught on fire. We all ran outside...a-a-and we had left Johnnycake and P-Ponyboy inside. The firemen came and they wouldn't...l-let me inside to save them...a-a-a-and...."

I couldn't stop the tears from coming. I got up out of my seat and ran to Darry and hugged him and started sobbing into his shirt. I guess Ponyboy got upset too, because I heard him run over and hug Darry too. I wrapped my arm around him as well. All I could hear in my head were Ponyboy's shouting for me.

"Shh, calm down guys," Darry whispered, hugging us tightly. "It was just a dream. Darry's right here. I'm here now."

Ponyboy's face was buried into Darry's chest. He was shaking so bad. "Hey Colt, why don't ya go finish your food. Your eggs might get cold. And when Two-Bit comes, you don't want him to eat your cake."

That was all it took. Pony took his face out of Darry's chest and hurried back to the table to eat. Typical Ponyboy.

I was still a bit spooked, and I stayed with Darry for a few more minutes until I was ready to go back to the table. In the end, we all ate breakfast peacefully, and Ponyboy and I never had that nightmare again.

~ TJ