He's My Gold - Johnny x Ponyboy

The Rose Hued Morning

Ponyboy's POV

I let the weight on my eyes where off and open to a tinted color on the ceiling. A beautiful rose-colored hue dashed from the window in my room. I lift myself from the pillows and stretch a bit after catching my eyes on Johnny, who was sleeping on the mattress right next to my bed.

I'm so glad he's here with us. Poor Johnnycake has been through way too much and it's best to keep him at our house. Darry offered it to him months ago, and he took the offer. Keeping on the topic of Johnny, I'm so proud of him. He is so courageous, brave, and amazingly strong. I won't lie when I thought he wouldn't still be here with us back in the hospital incidents. It was a surreal time for us and I never would've thought we would get here.

After he was free from the hospital, Soda and I always supervise him when he has to go to his house for something. But, boy, do I feel so bad for him. His olders are something else. They are freakishly crazy. Poor Johnny deserved so much better. After all he's done, I needed to keep him safe.

Of course, I knew a safe spot he could be and he knew it too. So for about half a year or so now, Johnny has been living here with us. I shared my room and clothes with him, but sometimes even still, I feel that's not enough. He's kept telling me. 'Don't worry bout me, Pony' but of course, I'm gonna worry about him. He's my best friend, for crying out loud!

All us in our greaser gang care for each other endlessly, but nothing comes down to how we'll always protect Johnny. From when we found him unconsciously jumped by Soc's, to when he was suffering in the hospital due to his heroic reaction out in the fire, he's Johnny and he's the one who saved my life.

I'll never forget that night. The night we spent out at the park. It was horrid and too traumatic to want to look back at. If it weren't for Johnny. I'd be drowned, dead in a fountain. Ever since we ran away that night, I couldn't stop looking into his glistering puppy eyes like they were my whole view. But whether he saw it or not, he was amazing.

Sure, I've brought Johnny up many times here, but for good reason. Well, back when he was in the hospital, he wrote me a letter that I didn't find until a few days after he was clear. The note meant a lot and made me swell up. I can't imagine the grief and detail I'd be stuck in if Id have read that not and he didn't make it.

The number of outcomes to what could've happened if Johnny didn't make it out of the hospital, who's to ever know. But I'd rather not think about it. It hurts my soul. I've already had countless nightmares about if he didn't save me from when that Soc tried to drown me. What I owe to Johnny.

I lose my train of thought when I see him move away. I feel a slow grin lighten up on my face at the scene of the boy waking up. His big eyes darting to mine almost instantly was quite a feeling. "Morning, Johnny." I felt a heated-up smile stick to my face while I said that. "Good mornin Pony." He said with a cute morning voice.
"Sleep well?" I asked looking down at him from my bed. "Yeah, I'd say." He said getting up.

We made our way to the living where almost everyone was huddled around the couch and floor watching Mickey Mouse, except for Darry who seemed to be finishing breakfast in the kitchen. We said good morning to them all and sat next to each other to watch the cartoon.

After a few minutes or so, a question starts to flood my mind heavier and heavier. This question not leaving me alone for so long. I felt it was time I spoke to someone about these feelings. So who better to feel safe ranting out to, than my older brother Sodapop. He'd understand everything. So while everyone, especially Johnny, was distracted watching, I tried to get Soda's attention, who was sitting on the rug in front of the couch.

"Hey, Soda?" I measly whispered to him tapping him on the shoulder. "Hmm?" He said looking up at me on the couch. "What's up, Pony?" He scuffles my hair. "I need to talk to you about something in private," I say gesturing him to his room. "Anything man." He said nodding and following me immediately.