Coffee And Happy Endings (A Johnnyboy AU)

Where is Johnny?

Ponyboy didn't know why Johnny didn't show up. He had no idea. Johnny hadn't been at the cafe for 2 weeks. Ponyboy was concerned. He didn't know where he was. On the 16th day of Johnny's absence, Ponyboy started to worry. Johnny wasn't usually away for this long.
"Did you ever find my phone?" Keith was standing at the counter.
"No one has turned it in yet, sorry."
"Oh, let me know if someone has. You have my email!"
"I know, Keith."
"Rightio, Ponyboy."
"How did you know- oh. Right. My name tag."
"Is your name really Ponyboy?"
"Yes."
"Well, I never thought I'd see the day where I'd see a name weirder than Keith O'Keith, but here we are."
"Yep."
"Nice meeting you, Ponyboy. And tell me of my phone shows up."

When Ponyboy was closing up the shop that night, Johnny didn't show up.

The next day, Keith showed up again.
"Ponyboy! What's up, my man?" Keith announced this very loudly. The whole cafe turned their heads.
"Nothing. No ones found your phone Keith."
"Oh. Okay."
"Goodbye, Keith."
"See ya, Ponyboy."

No one came in while Ponyboy was closing the shop.

Ponyboy's classes started in a few days. He worked full time those last days of summer. Johnny didn't show up.

Ponyboy started school. He worked from 5pm til 9pm every night. He brought his school assignments to work and did them when no one was there. Keith came in everyday. He was loud and still hadn't found his phone. Ponyboy hadn't seen Johnny.

September passed. No Johnny. Just Keith.

October. No Johnny. Only Keith.

One brisk November morning, Keith came in. He walked up to the counter and ordered and iced coffee. Ponyboy handed him his drink.
"You know, Ponyboy, I have something to confess." Keith said, slurping down his coffee.
"What, Keith."
"I did lose my phone, but I have it back. I found it at my house the morning after I came here looking for it."
"I thought so."
"So you knew?"
"No. I just thought."
"Okay, well do you want to know why I kept coming back here."
"We do have great iced coffees."
"I like you."
"Oh."
"Would you like to go out to dinner with me?"
"Um."
"You don't need to answer right away. Call me. Or I guess you could text. My number is on my card." Keith turned to leave, "Thanks for the coffee!" He called as he left.

Johnny sat on his couch with Keith's card in his hand. He typed in the phone number, then erased it and called Sodapop instead.

"Yo, bro."
"Hi."
"Wassup, pony?"
"I got asked out."
"Congratulations."
"Yeah."
"The same guy from the picnic?"
"No. A different guy."
"Wow. You move fast, little bro."
"Yeah."
"You also don't sound happy."
"I don't?"
",You don't. You still like the picnic guy, don't you."
"Yeah."
"This other guy likes you, but you aren't over the picnic guy yet."
"Yeah."
"Well then, Pony, just don't."
"Do what?"
"Go to dinner with the guy! You don't like him, so don't lie to him."
"Okay. Thanks, Sodapop."
"Anytime, little man."
"Bye."
"Bye, Pony. I love you."
"You too."
Ponyboy hung up the phone and dialled Keith.

"Hello?" Keith picked up on the first ring.
"Hi. It's Ponyboy?"
"Oh, yeah. Hey."
"Hi. So, I was just calling it say I can't go out with you. I'm sorry. There's someone else I'm sorta maybe dating."
"Okay, man. You could've just said."
"You aren't mad?"
"No, but I do need to sleep."
"Okay. Goodnight, Keith."
"Night."
Keith hung up. Ponyboy closed his eyes. He had gotten somewhere tonight.

When Ponyboy was closing up the next night, Johnny sauntered in. He looked different. Tinner. More gaunt. His hair was stringy and oily looking. He had a fading bruise on his cheek.
"One black coffee please." He said at the counter.
Ponyboy handed him the mug with shaky hands.
"Thank you." He said.
"Where were you?" Ponyboy asked.
"I had to be somewhere."
"For 2 months?"
"Yes."
"Oh okay."
"Yes."
"You never came to our picnic."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
"No it's not."
"Yeah. It isn't."
They stood in silence for a while.
"Let's do it now." Johnny said.
"What?"
"The picnic."
"We can't?"
"Why not?"
Johnny took off his jacket and laid it on the floor.
"We can't have a picnic here, Johnny."
"We have 15 minutes. It'll just have to be short."
Ponyboy thought for a moment. "I'll get some more coffee."

Ponyboy was sitting on the ground of his workplace with Johnny on his leather jacket. They had steaming mugs of coffee clasped in their hands. A plate of day old muffins were in the centre of Johnny's jacket. They talked and laughed for a quarter of an hour, but that time was up too shortly. Soon, the hour came to close. Ponyboy was disappointed the time went by so fast. Johnny stood up and Ponyboy took the muffin plate off of his jacket. Johnny dusted it off and put it back on. He looked dashing even with the bruise. Ponyboy placed the muffin plate on the counter with their mugs. Johnny walked to the door.
"Goodbye Ponyboy"
"Goodbye Johnny."

A/N: I have written 6 parts. Hopefully you liked them all or at least some! I encourage you to comment and/or vote. That's pretty much all I have to say for now. I also want to say, the Keith in this is NOT the same Keith as Two-bit. I'm sorry if that was confusing to anyone, but they are not the same. I just really wanted to name someone Keith. Sorry if it made you super confused. Have a great day/night!

-booksarelife

(P.S. Read something by Meredith Russo. She has two novels out. They are called 'If I was your girl' and 'Birthday'. I recommend both of them. They are amazing. You should read the trigger warnings before you read them, though.)