— i never planned on you pt. 3 ౨ৎ
summary : in which darry runs into the girl from the dingo as he was driving home from work
pairing : darrel "darry" curtis x waitress!oc
a/n : i need to stop writing in the middle of the night man.. anyway hope you enjoy !! (go read pt.1 !!)
The day's work clung to Darry like dust.
His shoulders ached from hauling limber since sunrise, his hands were rough with splinters despite the pair of worn gloves stuffed into his back pocket, and every muscle in his back protested as he climbed into his truck. He let out a quiet sigh, rolling his shoulders once before starting the engine, the old pickup roaring to life.
Normally, he'd head straight home. Sodapop would probably already be there, already rummaging through the icebox for something to eat, and Ponyboy would either be on the couch, buried in a book, or talking to Johnny or Two-big pretending he'd already done his chores.
Tonight, though, Darry wasn't in much of a hurry.
The night air drifted though the open windows as he drive through Tulsa, the setting sun casting long shadows across the streets. Store fronts glowed one bye one as neon signs begun to flicker to life and the sidewalks slowly filled with people heading home from work.
Without really thinking, Darry found himself taking the same turn he'd taken a few nights prior.
The Dingo sat of the corner, its bright sign buzzing softly above the entrance.
The parking lot was nearly empty now. Most of the dinenr rush had already come and gone, leaving only a handful of cars scattered across the cracked pavement.
He was about to keep driving when movement near the back of the building caught his eye.
Someone was struggling to lift a cardboard box, that was nearly as big as they were, into their truck bed.
Darry pulled the truck into a empty space before he could talk himself out of it. He climbed out and shut the door behind him.
The figure grunted as they continued to try to hoist the box up. As they almost got it, it slipped
"Oh, you've gotta be kiddin' me."
Darry couldn't help the slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Need a hand?"
Slowly, they turned around.
Elaine brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, one eyebrow lifting in surprise. "Darrel?"
"Thought you looked familiar."
For a second, neither of them moved. Then she looked down at the stubborn box and let out a quiet laugh. She stepped to the side, hands resting on her hips. "Be my guest," she said. "Thing weighs a ton."
Darry walked over and crouched beside the box, testing its weight before lifting it. "Wow, you weren't kidding."
"I never kid about heavy boxes."
With one steady motion, he hoisted it into the bed of the pickup.
Elaine stared for a second before letting out a low whistle. "I've been fighting with that thing for five minutes."
He dusted his hands together. "You would've gotten it eventually."
"Maybe." She looked at the truck bed. "...Eventually."
A comfortable silence settled between them. It wasn't awkward, exactly. Just... quiet.
The sounds of evening filled the space instead. Crickets had started chirping somewhere beyond the parking lot. Every now and then a car rolled past on the street, its headlights sweeping across the brick wall of the restaurant before disappearing again.
Elaine climbed onto the bumper of the pickup to push the box farther forward.
"Could you hand me that one?"
Darry followed her gaze to another box sitting by the back door. "This one?"
He picked it up. This one was lighter. "What's in these?"
He looked down. "Whole lotta plates."
"Whole lotta broken plates," she corrected. "Manager wants me to take 'em to his cousin's place. Says he can do somethin' with the ceramic."
Darry set the box beside the first one. "You're delivering 'em?"
She laughed softly. "I ask myself that every day."
The words came out lighthearted, but Darry noticed the way she rubbed the back of her neck as she said them.
And you're still workin'."
She looked at him for a second before smiling. "Depends who you ask."
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
"My boss would probably say I'm standing around talking."
Darry let out a quiet chuckle.
She smiled a little wider. "There it is."
"I was beginning to think I'd imagined it."
He crossed his arms. "Twice is plenty."
Elaine tilted her head thoughtfully. "I don't know..." She tapped her chin. "I think we're gonna have to get those numbers up."
Darry couldn't help it. Another smile slipped through before he caught himself.
Elaine pointed triumphantly. "Three."
He sighed. "I walked right into that one."
"You really did." She hopped down from the truck bed and reached for another box before realizing Darry already had it in his hands. "...You're making me look lazy."
"I don't think anyone who's worked two jobs today could be called lazy."
For the first time since he'd walked over, her smile faltered. Only for a heartbeat. Then it was back. "You've been talking to Dallas."
She sighed through her nose. "Of course he did."
"I know." She brushed a bit of dust off the side of the truck. "He worries too much."
A quiet laugh escaped her. "Actually..." She glanced toward the glowing restaurant windows. "...No."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The last box sat by the back door, smaller than the others. Darry reached for it automatically. As he lifted it, something slid against the cardboard with a dull thump.
Elaine's eyes widened. "Oh." She took the box from him before he could peek inside. "Just... some old ones."
She gave him a look. "...Funny."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry."
"No, you're right." She looked down at the taped-up box, tracing one finger absentmindedly along the edge. "I usually keep one in my apron."
Darry blinked. "You read at work?"
"If nobody needs me for five minutes."
He imagined her squeezed into a corner of the kitchen, reading half a page before someone called her name again. For some reason, that picture stuck with him.
"Whatcha read?" he asked.
"A little of everything."
She thought for a second. "I like stories where people get second chances."
Darry looked at her. There was something in the way she'd said it. Quiet. Honest. Before he could ask what she meant, the back door of the Dingo burst open.
The manager leaned halfway out the door, waving a clipboard. "Elaine! Tell me you haven't left yet."
She closed her eyes for the briefest second. "...I knew it was too good to be true," she muttered before smiling back at her manager. "What now?" she called back.
"We got a freezer that's makin' a noise I've never heard before."
She looked at Darry with an apologetic smile. "Duty calls."
He nodded. "'Course it does."
She started toward the door, then stopped. Turning back, she smiled—a real one this time. "Thanks for the help, Darrel."
He shoved his hands into his pockets. "It wasn't much."
Before he could think of a response, she disappeared inside, the screen door swinging shut behind her.
Darry stood there for another second, listening as muffled voices drifted through the building. Then he looked over at the neatly stacked boxes in the truck bed. He realized something.
For the first time since he'd met her, Elaine hadn't been serving anyone. She'd just been herself. He liked that version of her even more.
Darry had just reached for his truck door when the back screen door squeaked open again.
Elaine stepped outside, rubbing both hands over her face before letting them fall to her sides. "The freezer lives to see another day," she sighed.
He glanced toward the restaurant. "So, you're done?"
She nodded. "For real this time."
She walked over to the old pickup and leaned against the tailgate, looking more tired than she'd seemed all evening. The easy smile she'd worn around customers had faded, replaced by something quieter.
Darry nodded toward the driver's seat. "Headin' home?"
"I've gotta stop by the grocery store."
He looked at her. "This late?"
"I'm outta bread... eggs... milk..." She counted on her fingers before giving up. "Actually, I'm outta just about everything."
"So you're grocery shoppin' now?"
She shrugged. "Figure it'll be quieter."
She looked at him with an amused smile. "You're awfully curious tonight."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "You gonna answer me?"
She laughed softly. "I'll make something."
"You've already worked all day."
"And now you're gonna cook?"
He frowned. "Do you ever just sit down?"
He huffed out a laugh before he could stop himself.
She grinned. "There it is again."
He shook his head. "You gonna keep countin'?"
The evening breeze stirred the loose strands of hair around Elaine's face as she looked toward the darkening sky.
Darry cleared his throat. "You don't have to cook tonight."
She looked back at him. "What?"
He shifted his weight, suddenly feeling far less confident than he had a second ago. "We're, uh," He paused. "Soda usually makes too much food."
Elaine raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"Yeah," he answered. "So, if you're outta groceries.." He trailed off. The words felt awkward coming out. "You, uh, could come by."
She blinked. "Your house?"
She looked genuinely surprised. "For dinner?"
He nodded once. "It ain't anything fancy."
"I wasn't expectin' fancy."
"Soda'll probably make pancakes even if it's supper."
"Probably dye it blue or somethin'. Says 'Breakfast works any time of day."
"He'll pretend he's too grown for it."
She looked down at the pavement. "I don't wanna impose."
"You wouldn't. Two-bit and Dally act like it's their house anyway: bargin' in whenever they want."
"Still, I'd be crashin' family dinner."
"You'd be eatin' dinner."
She hesitated. "I don't even know your brothers."
"He already likes you, you know."
She looked up. "How do you know that?"
Darry smiled despite himself. "He said you remind his of somebody in one of his books."
Elaine laughed quietly. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Elaine fidgeted with her necklace. "I'd appreciate it, Darrel." He could tell by her tone there was a 'but' coming. "But.."
"I should probably head home."
He nodded, trying not to let the disappointment show.
Those four words explained everything. Darry remembered what Dallas had told him about the society dinners, the expectations, the way Elaine was expected to smile and pretend everything was fine.
He didn't push. "Another time, then."
She searched his face for a moment before offering a small, genuine smile. "I'd like that."
Darry returned the smile. "So would I."
For a second, neither of them moved. Then Elaine climbed into her pickup and rested one hand on the steering wheel. "Tell Sodapop I owe him pancakes."
"And tell Two-Bit..." She paused thoughtfully. "...Steve still owes him twenty-three cents."
Darry laughed—a real laugh this time. "I'll let him know."
Her grin widened. "See you around, Darrel."
She gave a small wave before starting the truck. As she pulled out of the parking lot, Darry watched the taillights disappear around the corner.
Only then did he climb into his own truck. He had a feeling Sodapop was going to have a field day when he found out he'd invited a girl over for dinner.
And somehow, Darry didn't mind as much as he thought he would.
