Work Text:
"If only, if only, the wood pecker sighs," Cheryl sung quietly, smiling as there were matching groans from her eldest two sons, and a quiet squeal of excitement from her youngest.
"No mama, no, not yet!" Her oldest, Darrel Jr. cried out. He had water colors in front of him and it was clear he'd been doing something with it; Cheryl couldn't really see what he'd been attempting to paint from where she was leaning against the doorframe to the living room.
"More time?" Sodapop, her middle child, asked with wide eyes. He had a few of his horse plushies in front of him. Cheryl shook her head as her youngest pushed himself up and toddled towards her, eyes wide with excitement and happiness. Sodapop pouted, holding his current stuffed animal as close to his chest as he could, wrapping his arm around it as if she was going to take it away from him. "Please mama?"
"It's already nine, baby, aren't you tired?" She genuinely had to wonder. There were nights when her six year old was out by seven, and other nights when he was up until midnight, too hyper to be laid down. She always tried her best.
"No," Sodapop shook his head, though Cheryl could see that he was lying. His eyes were a little droopy, he was only half way turned towards her with one hand on the ground and one around his stuffed animal, and he was sucking on his lip a little. Little tells that Sodapop didn't know existed yet. Cheryl smiled, bending down to pick up her three year old, who nuzzled into her shoulder happily.
"Come on now you two, we can always play more tomorrow." She watched her eleven year old pout, though he did start moving to clean up; he'd been painting while her and Sodapop conversed, trying to finish whatever it was he was working on. Sodapop let his lip wobble a little, and Cheryl only smiled a little warmer.
"Come on Pepsi-Cola, papa promised we could see real horses if we were good this week." Darry uttered when he noticed Sodapop had yet to move to pick up for bed. Sodapop turned his pout onto his brother, who immediately looked away. Cheryl laughed lightly as Ponyboy also mimed hiding his face against her shoulder completely.
Sodapop sighed, though he did begin listening to his older brother, turning and beginning to gather his stuffed horses up into his arms. He even grabbed Ponyboy's stuffed rabbit that had a horseshoe stitched into the stomach up to hand to his younger brother when he was walking by. Cheryl decided not to tell him about the trail of horses behind him as he did so.
Darry seemed to agree, as he snickered quietly to himself. It would at least wear Sodapop out a little, having to come running back and forth to carry all of them.
……… ……… ………
"If only, if only, the woodpecker sighs," Cheryl sang as she rocked her youngest in her arms. "The bark on the tree was as soft as the sky." She was pacing the room, gently rocking her and Ponyboy side to side. Her baby was barely keeping his eyes open, but he was mouthing along to the song. "As the wolf waits below, so hungry and lonely, he cries to the moon, if only, if only."
"If only, if only, the moon speaks no reply; reflecting the sun and all that's gone by." Cheryl looked up sharply, nothing that Ponyboy was just a second behind her as Darrel sung from the doorway. Her husband, Darrey Sr., was smiling. His arms were crossed over his chest as he leaned against the doorway, still in his work clothes. "Be strong my weary wolf; turn around boldly. Fly high, my baby bird, my angel my only."
"Papa," Ponyboy giggled, one arm reaching out for his father as Cheryl walked towards him. Ponyboy was at least tired enough that she knew that he would be out soon enough. There was no way for Darrel Sr. to rile up their youngest, not like their middle child at least. Not in any way that counted.
"Ja nu vienīgi, dzenis nopūšas, Koka miza bija mīksta kā debesis." He started to sing quietly as he took their youngest, pressing a kiss to Cheryls forehead as he began to pace the room. It was Cheryl's turn to watch as her husband put their youngest to sleep. "Kamēr vilks gaida lejā, izsalcis un vientuļš, Viņš raud uz mēnesi: Ja tikai, ja tikai."
Ponyboy was nearly out, and he had a big smile on his face as his weakly made a fist in his father's shirt, clinging to him as his eyes fluttered close. "Ja nu vienīgi, tad mēness nerunā nekādu atbildi; Atspoguļojot sauli un visu, kas pagājis." Darrel hummed as he rubbed Ponyboy's back, and Cheryl sighed as she turned at the excited gasp that Sodapop let out upon hearing their father.
"Esi stiprs, mans nogurušais vilks; drosmīgi apgriezies." Cheryl silently stopped Sodapop from making too much noise; unlike their father, Sodapop had a knack for waking Ponyboy up and riling him up. Too many missed naps led to that conclusion. "Lidojiet augstu, mans putnu mazulis, mans eņģelis, mans vienīgais." Cheryl picked Sodapop up and set him on her hip as they faced the room again to find Darrel gently tucking Ponyboy in bed.
"Someone is definitely excited your home," Cheryl commented quietly after her husband pressed a kiss to Ponyboy's forehead. Darrel looked up, a smile breaking out onto his face.
"Hey little buddy, whatcha' doin' up?" He asked, making sure that Ponyboy was for sure asleep before walking towards the two of them, happily picking Sodapop up from Cheryl's arms as they retreated from the doorway. They left Ponyboy's door ajar, a nightlight both in his room and in the hallway turned on as they walked back towards Sodapop's room.
He must not have been as asleep as Cheryl had thought.
"Not tired," Sodapop shrugged, his hands tightening on his father's shirt when they'd made it to Sodapop's room.
"I'm going to get ready for bed myself," Cheryl pressed a kiss to Darrel's cheek, smiling and ruffling Sodapop's hair when he made a noise of disgust with a quiet laugh before making her way down the hallway. Darrel had a knack for getting Sodapop to sleep in a way that Cheryl just didn't. She was more than happy to let him take over their little trouble maker.