Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, or "Beneath the Surface" by Kings of Leon.
A/N: Kind of a random one-shot. The idea originally came from a community on LJ. Other than the last two, the list purposely has no real order to it.
Rated T for some dirty stuff.
Your kiss sure killed me.
Comfort - When her mom dies, he doesn't say a word. No it's okay, no are you okay, and definitely no I'm sorry. He says nothing, all the while breathing steadily next to her - and she says nothing, all the while trying not to cry. But the weight of his arm over her shoulders is enough to keep the panic away.
Soft - For someone so mean, everything about him is soft; his hair, his skin, his lips. She remembers the first time she touched his back - marvelling at the feel of his skin stretched tight over muscles, and seething in jealousy that it was so perfect. It wasn't a hard decision to dig her nails in and rake them down his back the first time he touched her.
Sex - Angry, sad, frustrated. Full of hate, full of want, full of need. Biting, snarling, wrestling. Glaring, scowling, fucking. But good. Always, always good.
Quiet - Her gentle breathing in the night keeps him sane. He doesn't want to care about her, and most of the time he pretends not to. But having someone next to him - having her next to him - makes everything about the dead of night okay. Even when she's not awake, the inky colour of her eyelashes against her smooth cheeks is enough to make him breathe steadily, the soft in-and-out as she dreams next to him is enough to relax him for sleep, and the velvety feel of her body burrowing against his is enough make him want to keep her around.
Sarcasm - The only time they don't use it is when they fight. Then they mean every word they say.
Share - She asks for a sip of his beer the first time she talks to him, and he can't help but stare at her full lips as she speaks. And when he hands her his bottle and she lifts it to her mouth, not once taking her eyes off him, he knows he's a goner. It won't take more than a few perfectly placed looks to have him begging for her.
Defeat - She doesn't like being right about him, and she hates that everyone else is right, too. She'd always known he wasn't any good for her, but now it's right in front of her. He can't be changed. He's a liar and a cheater and a piece of shit. She deserves better. But she wants him.
Whisper - Give in to me.
Fire - His touch is like flames licking at her skin. Tendrils flicking their way up her bare back, stinging her ribs, and blazing into every inch of skin he can get his hands on. It burns and aches and it leaves her breathless - as though her lungs are literally filled with the smoke he blows into her face just to piss her off. It makes her crazy … and she loves every second of it.
Ice - Her hands are always cold. Cold and frozen and he has to smack them away when she tries to snuggle closer in her sleep. But when his temper reaches boiling point, when his blood is burning with the idea of beating the shit out of someone, her freezing hand slipping beneath his T-shirt and onto his lower back spreads cool calm through him, relaxing him enough to get his head straight. He'll never tell a soul that she has that effect on him, and he'll never tell a soul that all it takes is the feel of her cool skin on his own heated skin to soothe him. He'll especially never tell a soul that he thinks he might like it.
Hollow - He's been thrown in jail again and she's nothing without him. Her mom's gone, her dad's staring at her with dead eyes, and she just feels empty. As mean and cruel and uncaring as he is, he fills her and she needs him.
Pretty - Her eyes are pretty, but nothing else. He doesn't think pretty is a strong enough word for the rest of her; luscious, beautiful, drop-dead fucking gorgeous. Those lips, those curves, and those legs all need a word stronger than pretty. But those eyes? They're real and they're honest and they're so damn pretty that he has to scowl at them for fear of getting lost in them.
Snow - It was a stupid question, but one she had to ask. She's just surprised he was honest with her. Feeling sick to her stomach, she watches his footprints appear in the snow as he walks away from her.
Ugly - He's been in so many fights he's lost count. Fights with Shepard, fights with his friends, fights with strangers in the street. His injuries have included black eyes, split lips, cracked ribs, bruised knuckles, a knife to the side, and who the fuck knows what else. He's got a strong stomach; the blood, bruises, and breaks have never been a problem before. But when he sees the bruising around her eye, the way she's trying to hide it from him, he really thinks he might throw up. She's still beautiful, but he's never seen something so ugly in his life.
Beginning - She's only met him once, but in that hour and thirty-two minutes, he caught her staring at him fourteen times, made her heart skip seven beats, and smirked at her three times. But it was as soon as he sat down that she knew she wanted him. It wasn't his looks, it wasn't his charming attitude, and it wasn't the way his gaze automatically went to her breasts. It was the smirk that followed. The smirk that made her feel like the only girl in the Dingo. The smirk that she desperately wanted to kiss away.
Fool - She's not the kind of girl to sit around and wait, and it's about time he knew this. If he wants to get himself locked up for the weekend, then that's just fan-fucking-tastic for him. She doesn't have the time or patience for that, nor does she like that he thinks she'll just be there when he gets out. Screw him. He knows nothing. Giving her freshly painted lips one last pucker, she ruffles her curls and heads toward Tim Shepard.
Safe - Arms wrapped tightly around herself, she waits on the Curtis front porch. It's rude and it's intrusive, but she doesn't care an awful lot. Mrs. Curtis didn't seem to mind when she asked her to come inside, either. But she refused, and she's waiting outside hoping like hell she doesn't start bawling. Her teeth start chattering again as the image of her dad throwing her mom against the dinner table comes to mind, and she feels a little sick. But then he's is at the front door, frowning at her, asking her what the fuck she's doing there. And she finally begins to relax.
Naked - When he does it, she feels good and wanted and beautiful. But when Tim stares unabashedly at her as she climbs out of his bed, she just feels naked.
God - He's never been a believer, but when her hand, warmed by his own skin, pushes his hair away from his face, he thinks it might be possible.
Young - When they fight, brutal words are hurled at each other. When they make up, his touch is so desperate he thinks it might hurt her. When things are decent, her feelings are so deep she can hardly breathe. They're both too young for it all.
Hold - Her mom's dead. Lying next to her in his bed at Buck's, he presses a kiss against her smooth shoulder and goes to turn away. She hasn't slept in days, he knows that and he knows she needs to. But she grabs his hand, keeping his arm tight around her waist and asks him, tells him, begs him to please, oh please don't let go.
Rain - It's so cliché that she wants to hate him for it, but it's raining and he just fought Tim and now he's fighting for her. And she finds that far too romantic to ignore. His words are cruel as he tells her to stop being such a stupid bitch and to stop pretending like she doesn't want him. His hair is plastered to his forehead, and she knows she must look like hell, but it's raining and they're arguing and he's trying. And it's so utterly romantic that the small smile forming on her lips must look a little bit crazy.
Melody - Sometimes he's the perfect boyfriend. Sometimes he'll leave his friends to be with her; sometimes he'll focus all his attention on her even when his friends are around to hassle him about it; and sometimes, when she's really lucky, he'll dance with her. He'll hold her close, hot hands seeping through the fabric of her dress, slowly swaying them to the awful music at Buck's. He's often whispering all kinds of sordid words in her ear, but sometimes … sometimes they just dance.
Smile - Sometimes he smirks even when he sleeps. It's kind of creepy, but then, so is watching him sleep. He smirks when he sleeps, when he's pissed off, and when he's happy. He never smiles, but when he gives her that smirk, it's not so bad. No one else gets that smirk, and it's like his very own smile reserved entirely for her.
Quirks - This he knows: she hums "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" when she cleans, does homework, or showers; she always eats half her fries before her burger, and the other half after her burger; she hates ice in her Coke; she only likes cherry-flavour gum; she tugs at the curl that falls over her right shoulder when she's nervous; she rarely gets nervous; she's allergic to strawberries but loves strawberry shakes; she's left-handed; she hates it when she cries in front of him; she gets a sleepy look in her eyes when she thinks about her mom; she thinks he doesn't know anything about her.
Lies - No one gave her that black eye. She wasn't out with anyone else while he was away. She's no more afraid of being alone now than she was then. He knows the truth, and he wants to hate her for pretending it's nothing.
Laugh - They haven't been together very long. In fact, she's still trying to impress him. Stepping in horse shit while he shows her around the stables sure won't help, but as she stands with her arms over his chest, scowling at him, she already knows that hearing him laugh is one of those things she won't take for granted.
Never - He's never taking her back, not after the shit she pulled this time. Fucking around with Shepard is one thing, but to go after one of his friends - to go after Johnny … the bitch is fucking crazy. And he knows it's all for him; she doesn't want Johnny, she just wants to get his attention. Well too fucking bad for her.
Eye - She wishes he was here. Gently dabbing foundation over the bruise around her eye, she wishes he was there so much that it hurts. It's her own fault, though; she knows she shouldn't date around while he's away, but she needs the safe feeling of someone who at least pretends to care. She never thought she would need protection from someone who was supposed to pretend to care.
Time - It stands still when he finds out she fucked Shepard. She warned him she would do it, but he never believed her. She was his, no one else had touched her the way he has. But now Shepard has. What's worse is that he knows it's his own fault for fucking around on her first.
Attention - She plays it sweet - a hand on his arm, a small smile to relax him, eyelashes batting like no one's business. Poor Johnny doesn't know what's hit him, but she's more than pleased with his reaction, and when he blushes at the way she runs her hand down his arm, she knows she'll have no problem getting what she wants. If he wants to leave her, getting himself locked up again - as if he doesn't even remember she exists, that she needs him - then that's just fine and dandy. He won't forget her once he finds out about this.
Midnight - He sees her as soon as she walks in; soft curls bouncing around her shoulders, pretty eyes sparkling more than he should realise, and wearing a white dress that's far too innocent considering all the things he's done to her. He smirks, knowing she'll forgive him within hours and that they'll be wrestling for control in his bed by the end of the night. But then there's some guy he's never seen before wrapping an arm around her waist, and her smile is far to real for his liking. He wonders if it's all a show for him, but then her gaze slides around the roadhouse, landing on him, and her eyes go wide with surprise. There's an unfamiliar ache in his chest that he has to ignore.
Temptation - She's been worrying over her old man. A part of him wants to smack the worry out of her because this is the same old man who used to scare the shit out of her. Maybe he should just beat the shit out of her old man. He sighs; he's seen her once in the last three weeks, and of course it ended in a fight. The fighting is normal, the break-up that followed isn't. He's angry and tense and maybe even misses her a little bit. When the red-head next to him slides her hand up his thigh, he doesn't stop her.
Silence - He takes her to the Dingo on their first date. It's empty and they have the whole place to themselves for most of the night. He orders a cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake and she's strangely amused at the idea of him drinking a milkshake. They sit in silence for two hours, neither saying more than a few words. They don't get to know each other, they don't make conversation, and they don't flirt. It's the best date she's ever been on.
Walking - Watching him storm out of Buck's, she wondered why she ever thought this would be a good idea. It was one thing to date around while he was locked up; quite another to do it while they were simply broken up. Her date sure is nice, and she could maybe really like him one day, but without even thinking about it, her feet move and she's leaving her date in the roadhouse, going after him as he heads down the street. She quickens her pace, wiping sweaty palms on her dress, and calling out his name. She wants to sob in relief when he stops and turns, a knowing smirk on his lips and an angry glare in his eyes. Instead, she kisses him.
Tears - He doesn't know what to do the first time he sees her cry. Through broken sobs she tells him about her mom and her dad and the broken ribs caused to the former by the latter. It confuses him and he doesn't know why she cares so much; neither of them seem to give a shit about how she gets treated, and they sure as hell don't bother to hide their own problems from her. Scowling down at her, he wonders how she can cry over them and if he can get rid of her any time soon. It's much warmer inside the Curtis house than it is out, and he had a damn good hand of poker when she arrived. But then she looks up at him with those big green eyes and something tugs at his chest. Relaxing his face, he pulls his sleeves over his thumbs and dries her cheeks.
Name - Everyone knows him. She first heard of him when she witnessed a fight between him and Tim Shepard. Tim had been on her mind for a while before that, and despite watching him win that fight, the only name on her lips had been the blond's. She started to hear his name everywhere and subtly managed to learn everything she could about him. It didn't take much; all someone - usually her - had to do was mention him and the stories would flow.
Jealousy - She's never even spoken to him before, but the envy that courses through her as she watches him flirt with other girls is far too strong. Her whole night is planned around making him want her, making sure he knows she exists, but all she really wants to do is smack that Ruth Goodall right in the mouth.
Sun - Her eyes are closed, arms resting behind her head, and a soft humming noise coming from her mouth. As they lie on a blanket near the stables, he slowly - so slowly he hopes she won't notice - unbuttons her blouse. A small smile spreads over her lips and he knows she knows. Smirking, he opens the lapels and slips his hand beneath one, finding her skin surprisingly warm. Usually it's his own body heat that warms her, but as he presses a kiss between her ribs, he's sure he can smell the sun on her skin.
Victory - He sure is giving her an interesting look. If she didn't know any better, she would say it was confusion; instead it's frustration and annoyance and probably a bit of anger. Of course, the frustration and annoyance and anger is caused by the confusion he refuses to let show. Raising an eyebrow, she waits patiently. Finally he scowls and tells her he shouldn't have screwed around, that he won't do it again, that he wants her. She doesn't know if she believes more than the last one, and she knows he just saying it to get her into bed, but she smiles at her success anyway.
Question - Did he sleep with someone else? He really wishes he could lie to her.
Whiskey & Tears - Every time they break up, he gets drunk and fucks anyone in sight. Every time they break up, she forces back tears and threatens to fuck everyone in sight.
Innocence - She's never done this before. He thought she was just a tease who was leading him on, but he can see she's anxious. She wants him, but she's so fucking nervous it's almost enough to make him nervous. Instead, he runs a hot hand down her side and does his best to kiss her fear away.
Kiss - The first night she speaks to him is the first time she kisses him. There had been an interesting kind of eye-flirting going on all night, and he hadn't missed the way she seethed with jealousy when Ruth sat on his lap. But when she sits next to him, asking for a sip of his beer and making small conversation, he wishes he'd told Ruth to fuck off earlier. Then, sitting up on her knees and looking at him with those deviously pretty eyes, she kisses him and he kisses her back and he wants her so fucking much. And then she leaves, and he'll do anything to get her.
Love - She really wishes she didn't. He sometimes thinks he might.
Forgotten - He's not used to the looks she sometimes gives him. The way she's happy to simply hold his hand, sit in silence at the Dingo, be in his presence. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes the way she touches him makes him edgy; it's too soft, too pleasant, too nice. Usually he scowls, tells her to stop it, and gives her a bruising kiss. But sometimes he lets it happen because it's a nice reminder.
Metal - He isn't serious when he asks if she wants to make it official. He's just being sarcastic and trying to get her into even more of a frenzy - there's something strangely sexy about her when she's pissed off - and partly trying to end this stupid fight. He hasn't fooled around with anyone but her, and even that hasn't gotten past second base yet. So he asks if she wants to make things official, and of course she smirks and says yes, yes she damn well does. Fucking sneaky bitch. He's sure this was her plan all along, but he can work with that. Glaring, he yanks his ring off his finger, grabs her hand, and shoves it on the first finger available. Still smirking, she blows him a kiss and leaves.
Stable - No one else comes here. Soda used to, but he hasn't been in months. Now it's just him and the horses … and her. He doesn't know why he brought her, especially when she's stumbling around in those high heels. But then she sees his horse, she reaches up a hand to rub his nose, and she looks right at home.
Search - He needs a way out. He doesn't care how it happens, he just needs out. The guys aren't enough to keep him around, she's not enough to keep him sane, and he just needs out. There's a grocery store up ahead, and the cool metal of his gun seeps into his back.
Breathe - She's shivering, hands shaking, head pounding. The paper has to be wrong, but even as she thinks it, she knows it's not true. He's dead, and she has to remind herself to continue breathing.
Never sees the light of day.
A/N: Thanks to samaryley for beta-reading. Posted for Good Fic Day.
This is my first serious attempt at this whole list format thing. Feedback would be perfect :)