Just The Two of Us (Johnnyboy)

Chapter Nine

As Johnny goes to sit in Ponyboy's desk chair, Pony walks over to his bookshelf and pulls out Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. He read this one recently and wanted to share it with Johnny. He thought he'd like it. Ponyboy goes to sit on the desk to the side of where Johnny is so there's space between his crotch and Johnny's face. (We're not going there.)

"Johnnycakes, wanna hear a new story? Since you liked Gone With the Wind so much. This one is kinda similar."

"Yeah! I'd love to Ponyboy. I love listening to you read." He sits down on the bed next to Ponyboy and wraps his arm around him. Johnny nuzzles his head full of long, dark, greasy hair into Ponyboy's shoulder.

"Cool!" Ponyboy says as he starts on page one. They sit there like that for a while, Johnny cuddled up against Ponyboy's side. It makes Ponyboy's heart warm and fuzzy, just like they always describe romance in books. Ponyboy always thought they were just full of crap, but apparently not. Johnny lies his head in Ponyboy's chest as he reads to him. Johnny loves listening to Pony read to him and then talking about the chapter afterward. He just feels so relaxed and at peace. Ponyboy reads the last sentence of the first chapter in his gentle voice. Then Ponyboy looks down at Johnny with a small smile on his face.

"That was pretty good Pony." Ponyboy chuckles.

"I know, man. This book is awesome." Looking at Johnny, he debates kissing his soft lips. They stare at each other for a while, before Ponyboy leans in slowly. Johnny leans in as well, he kisses Ponyboy's soft pink lips. He loves them so much. They keep kissing each other, ignoring everything else in the world but each other.

They don't hear the bedroom door slowly open as someone walks in. All they hear is a loud gasp. They quickly pull away and turn to the door. Johnny's heart is thumping out of his chest. Ponyboy sees the faint outline of Two-Bit standing at the door with a beer bottle. But mainly all he can see is his own tears. He doesn't even have anyplace to run, as Two-Bit is standing right in the doorway. He's gonna punch them. He's gonna pull out his switchblade, and come right over and stab them. And they deserve it, too. Ponyboy can feel Johnny moving, but he doesn't know what he's doing or why. He can feel the hot tears drip down his face. He looks like a loser. A big crybaby loser.

"Holy shit! I-I didn't even think you guys were actually... you know! Man! Jesus fucking Christ!" Two-Bit says looking at them with an incredibly shocked look on his face. Two-Bit is pretty much in shock. He isn't quite sure what to do. He was joking when he called them homos and lovebirds and all that shit. He thought there was no way Johnny and Ponyboy were really homos.

"It's not! It's not... We're not, I promise!" Ponyboy tries desperately to get themselves out of this situation. This can't be happening. They were so careful! Ponyboy swore he closed the door! He should've locked it instead... Oh god.

"Fucking liar." Two-Bit says chuckling, laughing his loud booming laugh. "I saw you two smooching! Homos! Straight guys don't kiss their best friends that they also snuggle with! I've seen that!"

"Shut up!" Ponyboy yells. He didn't mean for it to come out, but it just did. He was sick of this. He didn't want his own wrongs yelled at him. "Just shut up, alright! It didn't happen!"

"Geez man! Calm down. Don't freak out!" Two-Bit says laughing loudly, his speech slurred. He was obviously drunk. "It's kinda funny. I was joking about that and it turns out I was right!"

"Huh? It's not funny... You're drunk anyways. Just go away." Ponyboy says, trying to hide his sniffling.

Two-Bit looks at Johnny and Ponyboy. He sees them sobbing and shaking, looking terrified. His expression softens as it grows more serious. Even though he's probably drunk, he seems pretty sincere. "Are you guys alright? You look scared to death! What you guys think I'm gonna do?" Ponyboy's breathing slows. Two-Bit isn't going to do anything about them?

"You're not mad?" He squeaks out, reminding Two-Bit of his real young self all those years ago.

"Why the hell would I be? I don't give a fuck what you guys do. It ain't my business. Heck, I'm happy for you guys. Livin' life you know, bein' queers. You guys are real tuff for that." Two-Bit says, stumbling over his words and slurring them as he takes another sip of beer. Ponyboy is so stunned he could cry again. They're tuff for that?

"Really? You think so?" Ponyboy whispers, almost so quiet you can't hear him.

"Yeah. Someone coulda caught you guys sooner and kicked your asses. Real tuff." Two-Bit says chuckling as he chugs part of his beer, getting a bit of it on his face. He leans against the doorframe for support.

"We know... That's why you can't tell! Not even Soda! Please?" Ponyboy asks, because he realized that Two-Bit could tell the entire gang. That would be horrible. They'd have to run away again or something!

"I-I won't tell anyone! Don't worry Two-Bit has got ya covered!" He chuckles as he sips his beer. He is definitely drunk. Ponyboy prays that Two-Bit doesn't accidentally let this slip. He's got a bit of a loose tongue when he's drunk like this. While drunk in the past he's definitely said somethings he hasn't said before. None of them are as serious as this though.

"You're drunk, you know. Maybe you could just chill with us?" Ponyboy offers. He really doesn't want Sodapop and Steve to come home and find this out from Two-Bit. If those two ever knew, he wanted it to be from him and not Two-Bit Mathews.

"Man, I would but I could use another beer. I think this one is empty." Two-Bit says. Then he tips the bottle upside down and looks through the top of the bottle and beer spills on his face. Ponyboy just shakes his head.

"Man, sometimes I can't believe I'm younger than you."

"Hey! What do you mean by that?!" Two-Bit says. Then he seems to stop and think about it. "Hey! I take offense to that!" He says chuckling, signaling that he's not serious, which he never is. Ponyboy sighs as Two-Bit leaves the room. He takes a minute to catch his breath, then looks at Johnny.

"You okay, Johnnycakes?"

"I-I'm fine." Johnny says. His voice is shaking and he's breathing heavily like he's just ran a mile. "I-I just got really scared P-Pony."

"Me too. But it's okay now, I think." Ponyboy says, not even realizing that he was crinkling page 31 of Catch-22. The first page of the second chapter. Johnny leans close to Ponyboy, lying his head on his chest. Johnny tries to relax but after that. But it's hard after that close call. Two-Bit caught them but he doesn't seem very mad about it. But he's drunk. Who knows what he could do. Johnny is just scared. Even Ponyboy's soft, gentle, reading voice doesn't soothe him fully. Ponyboy closes his eyes and thinks. That really was much too close for his money. If Two-Bit was upset at them for that kiss, who knows what could be happening right now. Ponyboy felt bad for whatever version of himself that was happening to.