Cinnamon & Rubies // The Outsiders

nineteen

She could feel his presence behind her as she shut the trash can lid and inhaled deeply. He slid an arm around her front, pressing his chest to her back. Caroline couldn't stop her eyes from falling shut in relief at his touch.

"I don't want Teddy and Louise here," she said softly. "I don't want them to see y'all hurt."

"We can go pick 'em up and drop them off at your place."

Silence was her only answer. Caroline looked down at his rough hands holding her and clasped hers over his. Darry enveloped her entirely, not just his clothes. He was inches taller than her and pure muscle compared to her soft, scar ridden body. He was bigger than her father and in a way, that terrified her. She had seen him out on the football field and that day at the diner, but she never truly witnessed the pain his hands could inflict. Panic took hold of her at the mere thought of the strength he possessed.

"Talk to me," he requested. It wasn't an order or a demand.

"Do you like it? The fighting?"

He hesitated before opening his mouth but it was just too much. It was all too much. Caroline pulled out of his grasp with a shake of her head and headed back to the house. "I'm gonna ring the boys at the DX and ask if they'll bring 'em by my house."

"Care, let me drive you home."

"I can walk, Darry. No one's gonna try anything with me. Not with a rumble tonight and...and your name on me." She avoided his icy gaze and grabbed her shoes. "Nice meetin' you, Tim."

"You too, miss."

She was gone before Darry could stop her and say anything more. He knew she hated fighting and she hated him fighting especially. But he couldn't get the image of her immediately accepting Curly into the house and caring for him out of his head.

If it were one of our boys...

He shoved the thought aside and went to call Sodapop at the DX to ask him something.

When they came home from the rumble that night, victorious and bloody and high off of the adrenaline, Darry didn't notice that the lights were on in the house. In fact, he usually kept them on in case someone needed to swing by.

But their voices quieted when he raised his hand. Curly was still on the couch, a cool compress on his forehead. In Darry's chair was the unmistakable form of Caroline Montgomery, curled up with a book resting on her chest, fast asleep.

"You win?" Curly asked tiredly.

"Licked 'em good," Steve crowed.

"Good. Real good. She came back 'bout twenty minutes after y'all left. Said she had to wait for her ma to come home first."

Darry shifted closer to the cinnamon haired girl and crouched by his armchair. Her dark lashes contrasted against her pale skin, highlighting the softness to her look. He carefully took the book out of her hands and folded over the corner of the page to save her spot.

"Go clean yourselves up," he ordered the boys. They shuffled off down the hall, muttering and joking with one another.

"You say anything to her?" Darry asked Curly.

"Thanked her. 'Pologized. You gotta good one, Curtis."

"Don't I know it." Darry brushed his knuckles across her cheek. Caroline's eyes fluttered open and she immediately began to sit up when she saw him. He shushed her, stroking a hand down her arm and helping her settle against the chair back. She blinked away the sleep from her eyes and took in his appearance, clearly searching for any injuries.

"Alright?" she asked.

"Only a few cuts and some shiners," he reported. "We're all good."

"Good. That's good." Her eyes were falling shut again and he bit back a grin. "'M sorry."

"Nothing to apologize for, sweetheart. You tired?" She nodded in response to his question.

"Want me to drive you home?"

She cracked one eye open and blearily looked up at him. Caroline reached out and rubbed some dirt off of his cheek before she let her hand fall. He caught it and tangled her fingers with his, squeezing her palm closer to his.

"Figured I'd stay here and make sure you boys were okay. I can sleep here if that's okay." She began to curl in tighter on herself and he shook his head. "It's cold out here and we don't got an extra blanket. C'mon, you can sleep in my bed."

"Dare..."

"No funny business, I promise. Just..." He cut himself off before letting the words fall out of his mouth. Soft blue eyes studied her and he brushed some stray strands of hair out of her face. "Is that okay?"

Caroline watched him for a moment and then pushed herself off of the chair. He stood and helped her stand before starting to lead her down the hall.

"Holler if you need anything, Curly," Caroline reminded him before they disappeared behind the dark wooden walls. The boys were arguing in the bathroom, pushing and shoving as they tried to see in the mirror. Darry poked his head in and gave them all a pointed look.

"If you idiots need anything, don't ask us," he said. Caroline stifled her laugh and rolled her eyes at his words. He tugged her closer and pushed open the door to his room before shutting it behind them.

It felt strange now, being here with just the two of them in silence. The moon cast a shadowy glare in the room through the window that highlighted the curves of their faces. Caroline blinked up at him with her wide brown eyes, waiting for him to say something.

"This okay?" he asked once more.

"Wouldn't be here if it wasn't."

He brushed his hand along her jaw and tilted her face up so he could capture her lips in a searing kiss. Caroline shuddered against his touch and pressed herself into his strong body. Darry pulled away when the need for air became too much and he rested his forehead against hers.

"You're tired, darlin'. Go on, get in bed. I'll be there in a moment."

She was too tired to argue and instead crawled in on the left side. Caroline could hear him moving around the room, the sound of his jeans being unzipped, and clothes rustling. Her breathing hitched at the thought of her being alone in his room as he undressed. It was something she had never thought of before and suddenly her body felt a little too hot all over.

The bed sunk on the other side under added weight and then an arm slid along her hips and dragged her into a firm chest. Caroline let out a soft sigh at Darry's touch and he responded with a quiet but ragged groan.

"C'mon, I'm tryna be good here," he grumbled. She giggled at his complaint and turned so she could see his face in the moonlight. His blue eyes watched her with an intensity she had never experienced before and her heart thudded painfully against her chest at the sensation.

"Why'd you run?"

"I was scared. Of seeing something I didn't want to see. A side of you that would scare me."

"I don't enjoy it, Caroline. I don't enjoy fighting. I get some pride out of protecting my guys...our guys. But if I didn't have to do it, I wouldn't. And you know that I would never, ever lay a hand on you, right?"

"I know," she whispered, her hand coming up to rest on his cheek. "I wouldn't have come back if I didn't think that I was safe."

He pulled her impossibly closer and she tucked her head under his chin. He took up a good space on the bed but she had plenty of room thanks to the fact that she fit into his side perfectly. Darry stroked his hand up and down her side as they laid there, chests evening out with steady breaths as the lull of sleep claimed them.

For once, they felt truly like their ages. The weight of the world had been left at the door and they sought comfort in the touch of each other. Caroline let herself give up control and slipped under the blanket of sleep.