This fic is a close cooperation between Zayhad & M3535. It started out as an RP, but we were so pleased with how the plot developed that we quickly decided to turn it into a fic instead. Of course major rewriting has been done to adapt the style.

Also, we thought there is a major lack of Johnny/Soda slash out there, and we wanted to do something about it. We hope to create lots of new fans of this awesomely cute pairing :)

Disclaimer: The Outsiders belong to the awesome S.E. Hinton

Zayhad has made at least one illustration for each chapter (will be published on Deviantart – check my profile for links).

Chapter 1 – "The Couch is Johnny's Tonight."

It was a cold night - really much colder than it had been for weeks. Johnny sat at the lot, trying to get a fire going, but for some reason the damn wood just wouldn't catch fire. Maybe it's still too wet, he thought to himself and gazed at the sky. A few stars were out by now and the clouds were drifting away.

"It's gonna get even colder... that's for sure," he said to himself. Pony always said that when the stars were visible, the air would get colder. At least at this time of year. Something about the clouds keeping in the warm air, kind of like a blanket. And when they went away, the air would drift off.

Johnny got up. He wasn't going to sit here and freeze to death. Dally would slap him silly if he did. He laughed. Slap him – yeah – as if. But going home was not an option. He had already been there today and had a bruised forehead and busted lip to prove it. So he decided that maybe the Curtis house was just the better option.

He had almost reached the house when he heard Darry yelling. Oh boy... Johnny thought. Now Pony is in for it again...

Johnny sat down on the porch. He didn't really feel like going in right now.

o0o0o

"There was extra track training after school! I toldyou that yesterday!" said Pony.

Actually, he had forgotten to tell Darry, but he wasn't about to admit that. It wasn't fair that Darry was all over him anyway - just because he was home late from school.

"No you didn't, kiddo!" Darry yelled, shaking his finger at Ponyboy. "You didn't! Did he, Soda?" Darry set his eyes on his other brother.

Soda glanced from Darry to Ponyboy. He hadn't heard anything. That, of course, didn't mean that Pony hadn't said it. But knowing him, it was likely that he hadn't. Either way, Soda hated it when Darry yelled at Pony, so he finally decided to lie for him: "Yeah, I think he did, last night..."

A smug grin appeared on Pony's face. "See what I said?" He did, however, feel a little bad for having Soda lie for him.

Darry kept his eyes on Soda for a few seconds and then Pony. He still looked angry but seemed to decide to leave it at that. He went into the kitchen and sat down with the newspaper.

Pony walked to the couch and dropped down next to Soda.

"Thanks..."

"You forgot to tell him, didn't ya?"

"Yeah..." Pony said, looking at his hands in his lap.

"Try to remember next time, okay? Don't give him so many reasons to get mad at ya."

Pony nodded. "I'll do the dishes for you tonight."

"Sounds great."

"Is any of the gang coming for dinner?"

"Dunno."

o0o0o

Johnny sat on the porch and couldn't decide if he should go in or not. Darry seemed in a bad mood...

He slowly got up, walked down the steps and left the house.

o0o0o

Two-Bit, who just turned the corner, spotted Johnny in the distance. He waved and yelled but Johnny didn't turn around, so Two-Bit figured maybe he didn't wanna talk.

"Heeeeeeeyyyy greasers!" he said as he stumbled in through the door.

"Hey, Two-Bit!" Pony grinned, glad to get have someone come by and distract them. And if anyone could get Darry in a better mood it was Two-Bit.

"You eatin' here?" asked Soda.

Two-Bit dropped down on the couch. "Yeah, man, if ya don't mind." He paused. "Say, did Johnny come by here? I saw him leaving the house."

"No," said Pony, furrowing his brows.

He must have heard the argument and left, Soda realized. "I'll go find him," he said and got up.

"Okay," Two-Bit said and leaned back. "Hey, Pony. Go grab me a beer will ya?"

o0o0o

Johnny walked down the street. Where was he to go now? Dally was probably at Buck's - either with a girl or just by himself. Johnny didn't want to go to Buck's anyway. The guy was bad news.

o0o0o

Coming out into the street, Soda looked in all directions. There was no sign of the little guy, but he couldn't have gotten far. The question was, where. Home or the lot? Soda decided to try the lot first. If Johnny had come to their house at this time of the day it was probably to sleep there, and that, in turn, probably meant that there had been trouble at home.

And he was right. Johnny was sitting on the old car seat, feet drawn up and hugging his knees. Soda thought he looked so small and vulnerable - more than usually. He made sure to make a sound before he got too close - so as not to startle the jumpy teen - and sat down on the seat next to him.

"Hey, kid. What's up? Two-Bit said he saw you leaving the house just now. Why didn't ya come in?"

Johnny had only looked up for a second when Soda came up to him but dropped his head again to hide his face behind his hair.

"I heard Darry and Pony. I dunno... I guess I didn't wanna bother you guys."

"Shoot, kid. You know the whole gang is welcome at any time, no matter what. That includes you. Do you think Two-Bit would think twice before barging in, no matter what was going on?" Soda said, then laughed. "Hell, he even barged in one time Sandy and I were on the couch and... you know. And he just went to the kitchen to get a beer and came right back and sat down next to us. No apology or nuffin'."

Johnny kept his head down but chuckled a little at the thought of Two-Bit just walking by Soda and Sandy in that kind of situation. Yeah, Two-Bit didn't care about that kind of thing. No one in the gang really did. Well, except Pony.

"I just… wasn't in the mood for fighting, I guess," Johnny mumbled and pulled his legs closer to himself. His head was hurting from the hits his old man had landed on him a few hours earlier.

"Hey," said Soda. "Did you get in trouble at home again?"

He gently brushed the bangs away from Johnny's face, and sure enough: there was a new bruise blossoming purple on his forehead. Soda sighed. He was as angry as any of the others about Johnny's father being so abusive, but there wasn't much they could do about it.

"Damn," Soda said and ran his fingers gently over the bruise. "That bastard. Are you gonna be ok?"

Soda felt Johnny stiffen under his touch and swore he saw the hint of a blush on his face, although it was hard to see with that dark skin.

Johnny's eyes shifted away from Soda as he carefully touched the bruise. Soda was always so gentle with him. Not like Dally. He would start yelling and telling Johnny he was stupid for going home. Maybe he was. Maybe hewas stupid. He let his head drop even more, hiding his face against his knees. He hated this life, and why he hadn't killed himself yet was a mystery.

"Hey," said Soda in a soft voice. "Don't be upset."

Johnny looked so miserable it cut into Soda's heart. He pulled the boy close and held him.

"You can't let 'im get to ya," he said, and without thinking or knowing why he kissed the top of his head.

"I'm not upset," Johnny said in a broken voice. As Soda held him he could just feel his body giving in. Soda had that way of making you feel like everything would be okay. And it didn't matter if you yelled or cried. He wouldn't leave. Johnny leaned against Soda and for the first time that day he felt safe. As Soda suddenly kissed the top of his head Johnny felt his face burn red. But Soda kissing someone's head was no big deal, he thought. He did that to Pony all the time.

"Come on," said Soda after a while of sitting like that. "Let's go home. Darry'll have dinner ready by now." He got up, pulling Johnny with him. "And you're staying over tonight. No discussion."

Johnny just nodded and started walking back with Soda. A few clouds had drifted back and a drop of rain fell here and there. Johnny kicked a stone as they left the lot. He was kind of happy Soda had come to find him, because from the looks of it the cold night was also going to be a rainy one.

"Is... is Darry still upset," he finally asked. Darry was never upset with him but whenever he was in a bad mood it kind of rubbed off on some of the others. Himself included.

"Don't worry about that grumpy old man. You know how he and Pony are. It don't mean nuffin'."

They walked in and sat down at the table. The others had already started eating.

"Heey there, Johnnyboy," Two-Bit said and stuffed his mouth. "You don't have to run away from the house. It ain't Soda's turn to cook today," he laughed, then added, "not that Darry's a star chef either."

"If ya don't like if Two-Bit, you ain't gotta eat it!" Darry snorted. Two-Bit just raised an eyebrow at him.

"You okay there, Johnny?" Darry then said, seeing Johnny hadn't taken any food.

Johnny nodded.

"We'll clean that busted lip after dinner." Darry was pretty much used to fixing Johnny up by now.

o0o0o

Dinner was well over and Two-Bit had made himself comfortable on the couch. He didn't look like he was planning to leave anytime soon, Pony thought.

Soda knew Pony didn't like asking Two-Bit to move, so Soda said, "Ain't ya going home? The couch is Johnny's tonight."

"Oh, I'm so hurt," Two-Bit said, giving an act worth its money but moved onto the floor. "I'm just gonna hang for a while. Got a party later." He wiggled his eyebrows and laughed.

Johnny sat down on the couch. Darry had been holding him back in the kitchen to clean his lip, so now he didn't look too beat up.

Ponyboy sat down next to Johnny and they watched TV until Darry told Pony to hit the sack.

Pony sighed and got up. "Hey, Johnny - you coming with me to school tomorrow?"

"Yeah… I can do that," Johnny said with a soft smile.

"To bed, Pony. You too, Soda," Darry ordered.

A/N: Remember to check out the illustration for the chapter (link on my profile).