He's My Gold - Johnny x Ponyboy

The Transparency

Johnny's POV

The room was almost dead silent. Nothing but the noise of barely-heard Two-Bit on the far other side of the couch, and the faint sound of the clock ticking in the kitchen.

Pony and I were still wrapped in the embrace. I felt like I didn't want to let go, but slowly and surely it was departed. We stayed just as close, right next to each other, and Pony had his arm wrapped around my back.

I was slightly leaning on his side, he focussed back on the TV for a minute before looking at me and asking a question.
"I'm gonna head for a nice walk, Johnny. Wanna come?" He said getting up from the couch.

"Of course. I need to get some steps out in some fresh air." I confirm as he nods and we both get up and get ready. We leave Two-Bit, out on the couch. He could use the rest.

We left the house and walked side-by-side together, slowly making our way to the lotto to have a nice chat just chilling there.

Ponyboy's POV

Once Johnny and I got there, we sat in one of the old rusty couches outside of it and just looked up at the trees and sky. We've done this many times since the sunrise at the church, where I taught him about Robert Frost's, Nothing Gold Can Stay, poem.

It's adorable how quickly that meaning stuck with him. He's now always been into the sunrise, sunsets, and looking up at the sky. Cloudy skies especially.

"Do you ever just think about how all clouds are so different, yet all out at the same time?" He contemplated. I merely cocked an eyebrow at him in confusion. "Can you explain what you mean?" I asked him, clueless at his topic.

"Well, just think about it." He started as he pointed up to the clouded area above, getting my attention there. "All these clouds out are different shapes, sizes, and..." He paused, unable to get the word off the top of his head.

"Transparency?" I mumble, trying to finish his allegation. "...Yeah, Transparency." He says turning to the side to look at me. He smiled at me and I felt my heart pound at an alarmingly spontaneous speed and time. To get my mind off the heartbeat, I smile back. The sun started shining out from behind the transparent clouds, and the rays hit off my flannel, shining and reflecting off between me and Johnny.

"You have a bright mindset, Ponyboy," Johnny said abruptly. It caught me off guard, but I guess it made sense as to what he's been talking about all along. "Really?" I said looking slightly away, reddened across my face. "Yeah, you're one of the smartest people I know. You always know how to start a good theme off and you know so much about interesting aspects of life, whether specified into any category."

I blush, looking away from him out of flustered habit. "Well shoot, Johnny. Thank you." I look back at him as he nods "I admire you a lot for being so damn smart." He mumbles looking down. It was very covered and quiet, I almost didn't hear. I think it's what he intended.

"I admire you too Johnny," I say with unexpected chills and a heated-up face. "Oh, you heard that then..." He sighs under his breath. "Why would you admire me though?" He questioned. "Why would you ask that, Johnny-cake?" He scoffed a bit turning it into a silent laugh as he heard me explain how much he meant to me.

"You have way quicker reactions than I ever can to stuff, and boy howdy Johnny, are you braver than I can ever claim myself. Your personality is way more incredible than you think. You just don't see it the way I do." I say to him. The way he thought of himself was as if there was almost nothing there to him. Like as if it were transparent or something.

His eyes were glowing into mine, I felt our faces be closer than before and it sent a heatwave down my back. The close glimpse felt like it could've been followed by something. Or as if it were even about to.

Just then, we see Dally who came walking near with a cigarette in his mouth. "What's going on here now, kids?" He asked only seconds before Johnny and I snapped out of each other's studying glance.