Unrequited (The Outsiders ship fic)

Ch 5. Welcome to Middle School

Johnny POV

Pony didn't look happy. I don't think Dal or Two-bit noticed or cared, but I kept waiting on him to meet my gaze while I looked at him. He was just staring at his feet. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but I knew my voice was still shaking, and I don't like talking much with a bunch of people around.
I know it was just 3 guys, but that's a lot more than just Pony.
He did look up at one point between conversations to light a cigarette. He was eyeing Dal.
"You catch any action at Buck's last night, Dally?" He asked.
Oh my god, yeah... He went to Buck's last night... How had I forgotten that? I mean I didn't think about it. I always overthink everything. But I was so exhausted last night that when he said he was going to a party at Buck's the only thought in my head was that I hoped he wouldn't invite me. In that moment I was suddenly very curious about if he picked up any girls too. Maybe I should thank Pony for asking, or would that be weird?
If he picked up girls, did that mean he didn't actually like me?
Or love me, I guess. This isn't middle school.
Dallas sighed. "Well, I would've, if this bitch wasn't clinging onto me all night long," he said, punched Two in the arm.
I sighed in relief, which I realized immediately probably looked super weird. God, they're probably all looking at me. I kept my eyes shut for a few seconds, not wanting to know if they were or not.
"Shoot, Dal!" I heard Two-bit laugh, "You make it sound so gay-I was just lookin' out for ya! You were pretty drunk, I guess... You didn' look much like you wanted action anyway," he shrugged.
I opened by eyes part of the way through Two talking. Leave it to him to distract everyone from me by talking for a million years. I like Two a lot because of that, honestly. He can talk enough for both of us, and then some. He makes up for my quietness. I should come up with a way to repay him.
I looked up at him while I thought that. He was looking at me too, he already was. Why is he looking at me?
I was just looking out for you...
You didn't look much like you wanted action anyway...
Does Two-bit know about me and Dal?... Fuck, if he was mad at me for telling Ponyboy...

Dally POV

There's no way Johnny just ran into a poll, right?
He's a terrible liar, you could tell that's not what it was.
But if he did just run until a poll, why was Pony holding his hand?
That kid just kept giving me reasons not to like him.
I'm sure he had a good reason. Johnny probably did something dumb and Johnny-like, and Ponyboy had to hold his hand. He's a good kid, at least I'm pretty sure he is.
He better be. He's best friends with my Johnny.
After we made it to the Curtis home, Pony and Two-bit raced inside. Two did some kind of kick-double-flip sorta nonsense up the steps up the porch. I know how to do them, we all do, but fuck if I could remember the names of all the moves Darry taught us.
I held Johnny back though. I tried to start asking what actually happened to him at school, but he spoke up first.
"Two said you probably weren't looking for action last night..." his eyes trailed up from his feet to meet mine, "Funny, huh? Dallas Winston, not looking for action?... Is that true?..."
I kind of expected him to bring that up one way or another, at some point, but it still shocked me when he did. I don't know why I keep letting him surprise me.
"Sounds about right," I said, even if I didn't want to believe it last night.
"Well, why?" he said flatly.
I half groaned, "Damn, Johnny, why the hell do ya think?"
He had a frightened look in his eyes.
"I think..." he looked down again, "You can do a lot better than me, you know that right? I just don't wanna assume you didn't fuck last night just because of me..."
I smiled and shouted sarcastically, "Oh yeah, Johnny! I met a girl at sundown in Tulsa right before a party at Buck's and decided my heart, and my dick, belongs to her!" I chuckled and put an arm around him, "Grow up, woulda? This ain't middle school."
He titled his head back and rested it on my arm.
"Does this mean we're dating now?" he asked, bringing his hand up to slip a lit cigarette between his lips.
"Woah! What the fuck?" I grabbed his hand and pulled it towards me to inspect it.
His eyes went wide and he tried to pull his hand back. Does he just forget that I'm stronger than him sometimes?
"Is this..." I muttered.
I couldn't tell what I was going I ask him. This has to be what Pony was asking about. But I'm a lot more concerned why it's there.
Why did he keep this from me?
"Did you do this... To yourself?" I asked in a shaking voice that I don't even recognize.
"No!" Johnny said quickly.
"Did Ponyboy do this to you?!" I placed my hands on his, partly just because I don't like looking at it.
He winced and cried out, "Ah, fuck, Dal!"
...I gotta admit, that kinda turned me on.
Wait- no, focus Dal!
I took my hands off his.
"Sorry. Now answer me- Did Pony do that?!" I tried to talk slow and calm, but depending on his next words I might be barging into that house and beating a 14 year-old's ass. I couldn't help but yell when I asked about Ponyboy. Snot-nosed little punk.

Johnny POV

The burning came back to my blister when he put his hand on it.
God I'm frustrated.
He talked to me about our relationship like I'm a little kid. I swear he forgets I'm only a year younger than he is. I asked him if we're dating and he didn't answer. He kept yelling at me about my dumb blister and Ponyboy. My hand had that burning feeling because of him.
"Jesus! No, Dal! Pony didn't do that! I got a little freaked out and accidentally crumpled a cigarette in my stupid hand, okay?"
He was quiet for a second.
"So you did do it to yourself?"
I swear I'm going to scream.
"Wait, why did you lie to me about this?" he asked frantically.
I sighed and held my hand away from him.
"You worry too much, Dal," I said, looking at him over my shoulder.
"Probably because I like you so much," he said with a smile.
"You like me too much," I muttered, "I'm just an anxious skinny kid that accidentally burns himself with cigarettes 'cause he's stupid. What're you doin' coming after me, Mr. Big tough guy? Mr. Could-get-any-pretty-girl-this-side-of-Tulsa-to-do-his-bidding-with-the-promise-that-he-might-look-at-her?"
I shouldn't be saying this stuff. It's true though, I don't get what he's doing with me.
He was smirking, but the look in his eyes seemed helpless. He squinted and bit his lip, the same way Pony's brothers do when they're thinking real hard about something.
But then he just leaned down and started kissing me again, taking my cigarette in his hand, and his other trailed down to my waist. He bit my bottom lip ever so lightly, causing me to quietly moan into the kiss. I heard him chuckle quietly and pull me closer to him by the waist.
I'm so close to him now. I better not start to freak out.
This is the closest I've ever been to anyone in my entire life.
My body weight was practically leaning against him, like a wall. A wall, bigger and stronger than me with nooks and crannies and that's cold instead of warm, just like a wall should be. I thought to myself that if he pulled me any closer I would probably melt into him.
Scary. Maybe I don't want to melt. I want to stay as solid as possible. I pulled away from him and realized I was breathing heavily. Had I been holding my breath?
He noticed too. "You oughtta learn to breathe kissin' like that, Johnnycake," he said, taking a drag from is cigarette, "I don't wanna got to jail for killing you."
I nodded. I oughtta learn to do anything, kissing like any way. I haven't got the hang of this.

Pony POV

We darted inside my house just slowed down a tad when I saw Dally holding Johnny back by the arm. I probably would have stayed out on my porch to make sure Dal was't giving him any funny business. But I knew I'd just get yelled at to buzz off, and Two-bit was already laughing proudly for beating me to the front door.
We heard yelling from outside. I could tell Two was pretending not to notice. I should have stayed. I heard Dally scream my name, Johnny yelled in pain. I should have stayed. I swear to god if he's hitting Johnny...
I cursed him out in mutters as I stood from the couch and headed for the door. Two stopped me, "Just let 'em be, kid..."
Dallas yelled my name again. "Man, he's saying Ponyboy! This is offically my business, Two, c'mon!"
He smiled goofily, "Or maybe you're just real fun to talk about!"
What's he talking about? I swear if Two's gay too... I gave him a questionable look.
He looked up and said in a fake falsetto voice, " 'Oh, Dallas! Today at school, Ponyboy wrote nine essays about sunsets just for fun! Ain't that neat?' "
I laughed despite myself at his fake Johnny voice.
He went on, but with a comically deep voice and looking down, " 'Sure is babe. Wanna make out now?' "
He made a bunch of exaggerated fake kissy noises. Then I remembered them actually kissing. Johnny fighting it. The silence after Dally was forced off. The grim look of pure anger he shot me on his way out. What the hell, Ponyboy? Letting your best friend get abused by a guy that you know is trouble? No. I owe him better than that.
I bolted out the door. The yelling stopped, but that can mean anything. I skidded to a stop on my porch. Now they're kissing? What the hell..
I groaned. Dally's hand rides dangerously close to Johnny's crotch. He's 16, Dal, come on, I thought. But 16's probably a good age to lose it. That's when Soda did, I think. Oh god, what if Dallas already took Johnny's virginity? Big kids are so complicated, I groaned again. I miss middle school.
"Holy shit..." Two muttered slowly. Oh yeah, this is his first exposure to this thing. He kept joking about it, I thought he had to have an idea. Guess not.
He looked at me. I could tell he was surprised that I wasn't surprised.
"'Bout a day 'n' a half," I said, already knowing what he was going to ask.
I looked back from where I stood, and they ain't kissing anymore. Johnny, his face practically glowing pink, nodded.
"Damn, Dallas, save some of the kid for the rest of us, woulda!?" Two-bit hollered at them, making Johnny jump.
Dally put his arm over Johnny's shoulder and shoved them closer together, yelling "Get your own!" Johnny's face was even darker red and he looked down art his shoes.
Two chuckled, "Kid's got a possessive guy, huh?"
I nodded, but it made me kind of sick to my stomach.