Midnight Cigarettes ; The Outsiders fanfic {UNEDITED}

19.

Elliot's P.O.V

"Elliot ... Elliot" Soda snapped me out of my thought process.

"I'm sorry what" I said, my head snapped up to look at him.

He laughed a bit "if I didn't know any better, you were Ponyboy's sister, I was wondering if you wanna do something tonight?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, sure. What are we doing?" I asked.

He shrugged "I don't know yet, I just thought you might wanna do something together"

I smiled lightly "that sounds great" I nodded.

"Alright" he smiled back "what were you thinkin about?"

"I don't remember even" I laughed a bit, that was a lie but I'd rather not tell him that I was thinking of when I would see Mason again.

He shook his head in an amused way "alright, we should get back to work okay" he said and got up from the stool he was sitting on.

I nodded in agreement and got up from being on a break and walked back inside the store and behind the counter.

~*~

"Soda I need to get a shower" I laughed, he was insisting that we left now.

"You can get a shower later, we have more time now" he pointed out.

"Fine, fine. At least let me change" I said, pushing him lightly back from me.

He laughed a bit "alright go change, be quick" he said impatiently.

I walked back to my room and opened the door, walking in and closing it behind me. I walked to my dresser and looked through it a little. I picked out a clean pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt.

I took off my dirty clothes and put on my clean clothes and put on the jacket Soda gave me.

I took my wavy hair out of the ponytail it had been in all day and walked back out of my room, closing the door behind me.

"Ready?" Soda asked when he saw me.

"Yeah I'm ready" I answered as he stood up and we walked to the door. He held it open for me and walked out after me closing the door back behind us.

"So, you gonna tell me where we're goin now?" I asked as I opened the gate and walked out, with him behind me.

"Just the Lot" he answered.

"Okay" I laughed a bit.

We walked down to the lot and once we got there, we walked a little farther to the small park near the Lot.

Soda ran around to the stairs of the playground area and walked up them to the top.

I laughed and ran up after him. He walked towards the middle of the area and sat down to where I could sit next to him.

I walked over and sat next to him, looking up at him "what made you wanna come here?" I asked.

He shrugged and smiled "I just thought about how you haven't been down here yet" he said and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"So, it's been like a month and a half of being in Tulsa right?" Soda asked.

I nodded "I think so, I mean ... I haven't kept much track of it, for once I'm not worried about how I gonna get out of a school" I laughed and bit and leaned into his chest.

I closed my eyes and stay like I was, being there with Soda was so comfortable.

"Hey Elliot" he interrupted the moment of silence we had.

"Hmm?"

"I was wondering if you maybe want to be my girlfriend?" He asked calmly.

I got up from leaning on his shoulder and looked to him "honestly Soda, I though you'd never ask" I chuckled "yes I will be your girlfriend" I was probably smiling like an idiot.

He smiled "great, that's great" he said and cleared his throat "the reason I really brought you here is because Bucks place is so close and I thought since that's the place we met ..." he said, but didn't finish.

"I get it Soda, that's sweet. I love what you did there" I smiled and but my lip lightly.

"You wanna head down there? I'm sure he's probably having a party or something going on" he asked.

I nodded "yeah, let's go" I said and we both stood up, walking off the playground.

Once we got down we walked until we made found ourselves at Bucks place and Soda was right, there was a party going on.

We walked up into the porch area and sat on the steps.

I pulled out a pack of cigarettes and pulled two out, handing one to him and then putting away the pack.

I searched around in my pocket for a lighter and groaned "I forgot a lighter"

"Need a light?" He asked and pulled out a lighter.

I chuckled "you did that on purpose" I said and he put it up to my cigarette and lit it for me.

I took a hit of it and he laughed a bit "maybe I did" then he lit his.

"When I was told I was coming to Tulsa ... I was terrified, I hadn't seen Dallas in four years. I didn't know what to expect and then Dallas introduced me to you guys and I didn't really expect you all to mean so much to me" I laughed a little "I planned on getting out of here as soon as possible and now ... I don't wanna leave" I looked up at him "Mason he uh, he asked me to go back to New York with him. I just couldn't leave you guys".

He was looking down at me with a small smile on his lips. This was the first time I really opened up to him about this stuff.

"I love you guys, you're like the family I never actually had. I know is Winston's are suppose to be tough and all but you make me feel like I can tell you anything" I said and looked down "and I want you to know that you can tell me anything, I don't want you to feel like you need to hide things from me" I said and nodded slightly "cause ya know ... I won't judge you"

He pulled me into him "I'm glad you didn't leave ..." he hesitated for a moment but continued "after I found out about Sandy and her moving to Florida and all I thought I wouldn't be able to get over it. Just being around you helps me forget it all, it's like a distraction but ... a permanent one, I hope"

"I'm glad you look me that way ... I care about you Cola, more than I've cared about anyone in a long time. So, if you need distraction from something, you can come to me" I nodded lightly against his shoulder.

He kissed the top of my head "thank you Cherry"