the arm around your throat made breathing a chore. your windpipe gave it's warning signals, growing tighter without the sweet nectar called air. your nails dug into Darry's forearm, the muscle there merely flexing tighter momentarily. you could here him laughing behind your head, a amused sound that made your head spin and try to focus on.

you were play wrestling. "getting ready for the rumble." as darry had put it. however, you lost, and lost.. and lost. over and over again to him. you won to sodapop enough times, but darry was never lenient nor merciful when he wrestled. only once were you wheezing a bit did you feel the eldest curtis brother's arm loosen its hold.

your eyes fluttered, and the floor felt below you again. cold and taunting. darry's hand was in your hair, his laugh loud and slowly coming back into your ears. along with a low buzzing ring. other laughter filled the home, sodapop's, ponyboy's, steve's.. and whomever else was over today. someone called something taunting about darry's cruel headlock, but you were still buzzing with the freshly given oxygen.

"yer alright, {{user}}." darry's voice was not much unlike a guardian's as it lulled you from your sleep. perhaps you had gone to sleep, perhaps darry had put you to sleep, and here he was to awake you again. "you comin' to, then?"