Till You Tell Me to Leave // CurlyBoy

Chapter One

One thing that Curly Shepard had always known from a young age was that he always wanted the gorgeous green eyes of Ponyboy Curtis on him, it was well known he'd do anything for it.

He never knew why when he was young, he just wanted Ponyboy to see him, so he climbed up a streetlight to get a jacket, because he knew that would leave Pony in awe.

He only started to realize when he was 13. It was during a game of chicken they were playing together. Ponyboy had locked eyes with him and Curly felt his chest leap, like he was walking on air and he had stared back. The two had stayed burning holes into each other's fingers, not even noticing because of how entrapped they were with each other's eyes. That was until Tim Shepard had knocked their heads together, calling them any and every word for dumb he could find.

But here Curly Shepard was again, fresh out of the reformatory. He had gotten six months when Johnny Cade and Ponyboy ran away, he was pissed, he was worried, he was scared. The fact he was scared made him fear even more, the only outlet he was ever taught for his emotions was rage, anger, violence, impulsive activities. The standing record of the Shepard family rage is the one thing that held them together as a family, despite none having the same father.

The only thing he knew was anger, that was until he looked in the eyes of Ponyboy Curtis. He felt all that melt away and he felt giddy, he always did when he looked at Pony. He spent long nights in his cell thinking about Ponyboy – thinking back to how he got himself locked up.

Curly was worried and didn't know what else to do, so he beat up some little hippie kid named Howard, he didn't fight back, staying true to his values and that pissed Curly off even more, he knew for sure he busted a few ribs. It was Charlie, the owner of a local bar that called the cops on him. Probably something about the fact violence near his bar wasn't good for business.

It wasn't his first time in the reformatory, and he was sure as hell it wouldn't be his last, but this time he didn't feel annoyed with it. All he felt was anxiety ripping his stomach to shreds everyday, he was stupid, he was so, so stupid. He knew Tim and Angela don't visit him when he's locked up and this was the first time that upset him, because he didn't have any news on what happened to Ponyboy, and that made him sick. He didn't even pick fights or talk back, he followed orders exactly because he needed out. He needed to know Ponyboy was home safe.

And that's when it finally clicked for him.

He liked Ponyboy the way he liked broads, he liked Ponyboy like the pansies did. This didn't scare him, he made him feel like a kid in a candy store, he liked Pony.

Ponyboy with his wide eyes, how he accidentally ran into stuff while lost in his own head, the way he talked about the little things in the world with such a passion that made even Tim stop and listen, he was different than the rest of them all, but he cared about those around him so much. He cared about Curly so much.

So naturally, Curly was more than happy to find out he was finally getting released, he didn't even care how Tim was in a sour mood when he picked him, how Tim yelled at him about how stupid he is about getting himself locked up again, acting as if it wasn't a common occurrence for himself. No one ever liked to tell Tim he's a hypocrite because he'll punch them and say he's not, it's just the way he was.

—

"So how's Baby Curtis doing? Is he back home?" Curly asked in an anxious tone, rubbing a bruise on his hand from accidentally slamming it in the door when he closed it. Tim didn't answer immediately which worried Curly out of his mind, although he wouldn't admit he was worried, because he's a Shepard, and that's not what they do.

"Dallas Winston is dead, same with Johnny Cade." Tim said shortly, before quickly adding, "Ponyboy is fine, but he's blonde now and argues back with Darrel pretty often."