A/N: I decided to make a cute little two-shot of Ponyboy and Johnny while they're at the church one night. This is complete fluff, and I decided since I love how close Johnny and Ponyboy are that'd I create a fluffy two-shot based off their close friendship. This came to my mind from a few writing blocks, brainstorming, and whatnot. This two-shot is all for fun, so I hope you will all like it and please review! :D :)
Johnny Cade laid still on one of the hard, dusty, wooden pews inside of the drafty abandoned church on top of Jay Mountain. His arms were curled up close to his face, and his legs were tucked up into his stomach. The poor sixteen-year-old puppy like boy was struggling that night to get any sleep due to the horrible flashbacks from the night before coming back to haunt him. Blood was decorating his switchblade as he sat there by the fountain in the park back around his neighborhood in Tulsa; he was trembling like there was no tomorrow, and a numb, pale, lifeless body of a Soc rested next to him. Johnny Cade, an abused greaser, had murdered Bob Sheldon, a drunk and rich teenager who was taller and stronger.
Johnny didn't want to kill him, but Bob and some of his drunk buddies were trying to kill his best friend, Ponyboy Curtis. They were forcing him underwater, trying to squeeze all of his oxygen out of his lungs so he could die. Johnny had no choice but to yank out his switch. After murdering the Soc, Ponyboy and Johnny ended up running away from their homes for the first time ever. Ponyboy had been recently smacked across the face by his oldest brother and legal guardian, Darry. Ever since Mr. and Mrs. Curtis died in an auto-wreck, it was Darry's responsibility to keep Ponyboy and Sodapop, the happy-go-lucky; movie-star handsome; middle Curtis, together and out of trouble.
No matter how many times Johnny closed his adorable black eyes, they only popped back open a few seconds later. The abandoned church was chilly, causing Johnny to shiver since he only had on a dark brown shirt, a worn out pair of jeans, some dirty socks, and a pair of old tennis shoes. He was using his jean jacket, the only jacket he had, as a pillow.
Groaning softly to himself, Johnny forced himself up into a sitting position and rubbed his sore eyes, taking a moment to turn around so he could see Ponyboy sleeping on the pew behind him. His reddish-brownish, decently long, greasy hair dangled in front of his shut eyes, and his mouth was hanging open as he took in and let out soft breaths in what was like his peaceful sleep. The youngest Curtis was dressed in a baggy plaid shirt that belonged to Buck M., a worn out pair of jeans, surprisingly white socks, and dirty tennis shoes.
"...Poor kid..." Johnny sighed to himself, as if he was Darry or Soda. "I shouldn't have allowed him to come here with me...I'm the one who killed that Soc...poor Pone can't even stop thinking about what happened back at his place with Darry."
Carefully laying back down, Johnny stared at the ceiling and began to think about disguises for him and Ponyboy. Regretfully, they might have to cut their hair in order to keep the fuzz off their tails. Finally, Johnny was able to fall fast asleep probably around midnight or so. However, around two in the morning, Johnny was awaken by the sound of soft footsteps walking back and forth just a little back from where he was resting on the pew. Some sniffles were added into the walking sound too. Instantly, Johnny shot up and flashed himself around, already getting ready to dig out his blade without considering who or what was making those noises.
"Johnnycake, it's just me," It was Ponyboy, who had his arms crossed over his chest with tears drenching down his bright red face. "I couldn't sleep...I had another nightmare...this one wasn't about my parents, the auto-wreck, or any Socs though. The incident with Cherry Valance's boyfriend wasn't a part of it either."
"Boys' home?" suggested Johnny, a pout spread across his face at the sight of his best friend crying his heart out and pacing the dusty and creaky floor. After Ponyboy shook his head in response, Johnny regretted asking him that question; he should've known what was eating at Pony.
"No, it was 'bout how Darry slapped me like he did...he didn't even bother coming after me after I bolted out the front door! Who knows, he probably made Soda stay with him instead of comin' after me! Darry probably wanted me to run away ever since our parents died! That way, he would only have to worry about the golden Curtis, Sodapop!" Ponyboy blustered out in many more tears as he plopped himself down on the pew that he was previously sleeping on.
Johnny could've sworn he turned white as a sheet after he heard Ponyboy say such a thing like that; sure, Pony might've told him in the past how much Darry hated him and didn't want him, but after hearing Ponyboy say that Darry hit him and actually didn't care that he did so, Johnny couldn't help himself to feel sick to his stomach. Poor Johnny knew the truth of being unwanted and uncared for by his drunk parents, always getting cursed and belted. Ponyboy might as well lived in heaven.
"Pony, don't say that, man!" Johnny begged as he trotted over to Ponyboy's side and sat next to him on the pew. Johnny then flung his arm over Pony's shoulder and consoled him the best he could, trying to shush him and act like a parent, just like Soda would do. "Ponyboy, I can promise you that Darry didn't mean to hit you...you're lucky that he doesn't get drunk and beat the livin' heck out of you and Soda both...I'm invisible to my old man and mom, remember?"
"Darry hates me, Johnnycake!" Pony howled in sorrow filled pain into his best friend's shoulder.
"He doesn't hate you, Ponyboy," Johnny calmly spoke.
"Yes, he does! He changed so much since our parents died! He never used to be so harsh and violent, but now he's like a monster I can't even think about being related to!"
"Pony, please...you got to get a hold of yourself, man...Darry loves you and Sodapop both equally..."
"No, he doesn't! He admires Soda with all his heart, but he is irritated to the maximum level about having me as his youngest kid brother!"
Johnny could've sworn he felt hot tears beginning to form in the edges of his eyes, along with his bottom lip beginning to wobble. Nonetheless, Johnny blinked away the tears quickly and started to heavily think of a way that he could cheer Ponyboy up so they could both get some sleep. Seeing Pony cry like that and weep about how Darry hated him completely wasn't an option for Johnny to even consider; neither was telling Ponyboy to try letting it go and getting some rest because that would only leave Pony crying himself back to sleep to only receive another nightmare, and Johnny knew he wouldn't be able to sleep since guilt would be pooling up all over his body.
Memories from when he and Ponyboy were just little kids flooded into Johnny's brainstorming mind. Finally, an idea to help Ponyboy stood out, as if it was a lightbulb that was waiting to be turned on in Johnny's mind. That rare, playful deviousness twinkled in Johnny's eyes as a smirk curled up on his lips.
"Ohh, Poonnyy..." Johnny sang, giving the youngest Curtis a playful punch in the side. Ponyboy lifted his head back up and wiped away as many of his tears as he could.
"What?" Ponyboy asked.
Johnny kept his smirking mouth shut, playfully raising an eyebrow (a trick he picked up from Two-Bit, the wisecracker of their gang) as he stood up from the pew. Ponyboy watched him like a confused puppy, wiping away some more streaking tears from his face. Johnny ended up yanking his jean jacket forward from where it was resting slung over his shoulder.
"Stand up, Pone," instructed the Cade.
"...What are you doing, Johnnycake?" the Curtis concernedly asked.
"I'm goin' to cheer you up, that's all."
"Cheer me up?" Ponyboy wiped away some more tears from his eyes. Johnny nodded his head with his rare smirk still plastered on his face, but Ponyboy sighed and shook his head, not considering what Johnny could possibly have in mind of doing in order to cheer him up. "Johnny, I appreciate it, but it's useless. No matter how much you try cheering me up, the smack from Darry won't stop echoing in my head."
"I'm not takin' no for an answer, Pone!" Johnny leaped at the youngest Curtis, as if he was the middle Curtis again, and he gleefully tackled Ponyboy down to the old and dusty floor. The two teenagers playfully punched at each other, rolling around and wrestling like Soda and Steve (Soda's best pal since grade-school) or Two-Bit and Soda would do with each other for fun. Since Johnny was short for his age, he and Ponyboy were able to share what was like the same amount of strength, but Johnny was still stronger than he looked.
"Johnny, what the heck are you doing?" Pony half-exclaimed/half-questioned, resting flat on his back; he was too tired to fight back anymore, considering it was very early in the morning and he had more on his mind than what a fourteen-year-old should. Johnny finally pinned Pony's arms above his head, and then the Cade used his jean jacket to tie Ponyboy's hands up to one of the pews legs, keeping them above his head.
"I told you, Pone," Johnny playfully, but yet deviously, chuckled. "I'm just goin' to cheer you up. I don't want you to me all down and heartbroken for as long as we're here before Dally comes to visit us like he said he would."
Ponyboy didn't know what to say, so he only stared at Johnny with complete confusion detailed all over his face. Pony knew that he could trust Johnny with anything, but he was desperately wishing on the inside that Johnny would tell him what he had in mind of doing in order to cheer him up.
"Remember when Darry, Soda, and Dally introduced us when we were all little kids, Ponyboy?" Johnny asked.
"...Yeah, why?" Ponyboy tried his best to shrug, but couldn't succeed much. Johnny might've looked innocent and sweet, but he could tie one heck of a tough knot.
"Well," Johnny's smirk seemed to grow more. "I was thinkin' about what different games and whatnot we did together when we were younger, along with the rest of the gang...and I was wondering...by any chance...are you still ticklish?"
Instantly, Ponyboy's eyes shot huge, and his heart took a giant leap in his chest. Ever since he was a little baby, he's been the most ticklish out of his brothers and his parents. As for the gang, he was the second most ticklish out of the six other greasers. Now Ponyboy knew exactly what Johnny had in mind of doing to him to help cheer him up.
"No!" Ponyboy quickly stuttered out. "I'm not ticklish anymore! I grew out of the sensitivity!"
"Oh, is that so?" Johnny asked. Eagerly, Ponyboy nodded his head. "How come I don't believe you then?"
"Johnnycake, please don't tickle me! Don't you remember how ticklish I was when we were just kids and I could actually fight back? I'll die like this!"
"Hm...I thought you just assured me that you weren't ticklish anymore." Johnny continued to smirk as he shrugged his shoulders. "I might as well start now; the faster I begin, the faster you'll be cheered up and we can both get some sleep."
Slowly, Johnny wiggled his fingers like spiders in Pony's view, which caused the fourteen-year-old to begin yanking at the jean jacket and twisting around, but it was pointless. Johnny was straddling his waist and his tight jean jacket knot was too tough to escape.
"Why don't we start here?" Johnny kneed his fingers deep into Ponyboy's ribs, squeezing them and jamming his fingers as far inbetween each rib as they could go. Ponyboy instantly had a smile explode across his face, but he tried his best to bite his tongue and keep his laughter maintained. He figured that if he didn't laugh, Johnny would lose interest in cheering him up like that and let him go, but Johnny wasn't considering that.
"You're tryin' to play hard-to-get, huh? I got ya...maybe if I do...this?" Johnny lifted up Ponyboy's shirt so he could expose his stomach, ribs, bellybutton, and hairless armpits. After tucking the shirt around the back of Pony's neck in order to keep it from coming back down, Johnny took no hesitation to scratch at Ponyboy's bare ribs again with his nails. This time, Ponyboy's face began to glow red, and his smile exposed all of his teeth at the tickly sensation. Before the youngest Curtis knew it, he was bursting out hysterics.
"AHAHHAAHA! NOOOAHAHAHAHHAHA! SSTTTOOOPHAHAHAHA! NOTTTTHAHAHAHATHHHHEEERRREEE!" Ponyboy begged and pleaded, trashing around like he would do whenever Soda and Darry would tickle him to wake him up back at their house. Johnny's eyes pooled up with playful satisfaction, and he kept on kneeding Ponyboy's ribs, tracing his nails up and down each one, going back and forth from being slow to fast in order to drive Pony up the wall every time. The more he laughed, the more he would feel better, and that would help Johnny feel good to know that his best friend was happy.
"It seems like to me that you've gotten even more ticklish over the years!" Johnny snickered, deciding to cease the tickling for a moment so Pony could catch his breath.
"Please...no more, Johnnycake..." Ponyboy panted, still grinning ear to ear with his face still red, too.
"No more? Sorry, Pone, but I'm just getting started!" announced the Cade, which instantly caused Curtis' eyes to shoot huge. "I want you to feel better completely before we go back to sleep. And besides, this is actually really fun!"
"Fun for you, maybe..." Ponyboy muttered under his breaths that he was taking in.
Johnny touched his chin, continuing to have Pony catch his breath before his black eyes fixed on the youngest Curtis' stomach. "Hm...I wonder..." the Cade smirked again, which brought worry within the youngest Curtis, but he knew that Johnny only wanted him to feel better. Still, Pony hated being tickled. Johnny gazed around the church, examining all around for probably ten seconds before his eyes locked on an owl feather that was resting on the ground besides one of the pews. Johnny remembered the owl that he and Ponyboy heard the day before after they entered the church, but it had flown out after they made their way in; it must've left a few feathers laying around.
Pony looked relieved after Johnny stood up and walked away a couple of steps, but his nervousness instantly returned after he witnessed the Cade pick something up from the floor.
"Hey, Pony," chuckled Johnny as he walked back over to Ponyboy and carefully straddled his waist again. "I got somethin' for ya."
"My freedom back?"
"Not exactly..."
Johnny brought the owl feather out from hiding it behind his back and without any hesitation, Ponyboy could've sworn he felt his heart take a trip across the globe in his chest.
"I see that you're surprised," Johnny giggled, "are you ready to see what's in store for you next?"
"Johnny, please don't!" Pony pleaded like a child would, but Johnny only shook his head and brought the soft and silky top of the owl feather down until it met the bare skin that was underneath Pony's ribs. Ponyboy flinched, biting down on his bottom lip until he felt Johnny slowly begin to trace the feather all around his stomach, while he used his other hand to continue scratching at his ribs and travel up and down one of his sides.
"AHHHAHAHAHAHAHA! QQUUUIIITTTAHAHAHAITTT! PLEEAASSSEE! HAHAHAHAHA!" Pony burst out into a laughing maniac again.
"Tickle, tickle, tickle!" Johnny taunted; he hasn't had this much fun since they were little kids without any cares in the whole world. Johnny decided then to draw the owl feather closer to Ponyboy's innie, circling it a few slow times, then a few faster times, until he finally slid it down into the little bellybutton and swirled it around. That only forced Ponyboy to scream louder with much more laughter, and he threw himself left to right, continuing to try yanking himself free, but he couldn't escape.
"NNOOOTTTAHAHAHA! MMMMYYYAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHHAAHABELLLYYYYYBUTTTONN!" Ponyboy was laughing so much that he was beginning to cry again, but this time was out of laughter.
"One...two...three...and I'll let you breathe." Johnny ceased the tickling again and watched Pony grasp a giant breath, releasing it afterwards; softer breaths followed.
"This...is...torture, Johnny...please stop..." breathed Ponyboy.
"Not just yet, man. There's still a couple of more areas that are beggin' to be tickled. How about underneath your arms? They look like they're begging alright."
Quickly, Pony shook his head. His armpits were his second most ticklish part of his body. "No, they're not..." Ponyboy gulped, which received a snicker from Johnny. The youngest Curtis attempted pulling his arms down, but the knot that Johnny tied was still too strong to beat.
"Yes, they are," Johnny playfully objected, then gave Ponyboy's right pit a little scratch with his nails. Instantly, Pony yelped out a couple of snickers. "Wow, that's one tuff sensitive spot there, huh, Pone?"
"Please stay out of my armpits, Johnnycake! It's too much!" Ponyboy tried to reason, but Johnny didn't want to hear it. The Cade could tell that he was greatly improving the youngest Curtis' happiness, whether Ponyboy admitted it or not.
"I'm afraid it's too tempting, Pony." Johnny snickered, and after he said that, he started tickling away at Ponyboy's hallow pits, scratching away at them with the nails before deciding to drag the owl feather around the ticklish skin.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOOOOO! AHAHAHAHA! IT'SAHAHAHAHATOOOHAHAHAHAAHHA! MUUCCCHHH!" whaled Pony.
"I'm sorry, Pony, but I'm afraid I can't make out what you're saying." Johnny joked, chuckling at the sight of the fourteen-year-old bucking and trashing around like there was no tomorrow.
"AHAHAHAHA! JUUSSTTTHAHAHAHAYOOOUUUAHAHAHAWWAAIIT! JOHNNY! HAHAHAHAHA!" Ponyboy began to sound more playful, which proved that he was starting to grow happy after going through his nightmare, but that didn't change how much he wanted the tickling to come to an end once and for all.
"I don't believe I got anything to worry about, Ponyboy." informed the Cade, as he kneed his fingers deeper into the youngest Curtis' pits, circling his nails around and poking the feather around a bit as well.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! WE'LLLHAHASEEEEAHAHAHAABBOOUTAHAHAHATHAATTT!"
Johnny playfully rolled his eyes as he dropped his arms back down to his sides, not taking what Ponyboy just said to him into consideration. Again, he waited for Pony, who was now beating red and sweating bullets, to catch his breath so he wouldn't pass out.
"Please...please stop, Johnnycake...I'm too tired..." Ponyboy panted, swallowing deep breaths to help his lungs get back on track.
"You know somethin', Pone?" Johnny said, as if he didn't hear a word that Pony just said when he truly did.
"...What?"
"You actually have some pretty tuff shoes here...I think I'll tell Dally to swipe me a pair like these." Johnny pointed a thumb at Pony's tennis shoes, right before he moved himself down so he could be sitting on Ponyboy's legs instead of straddling his waist any longer. It took Pony a moment to understand what Johnny meant by stating something about his shoes all of the sudden, but after about ten silent seconds, Ponyboy allowed his mouth to fall open, as if he watched somebody walk through a wall.
"No! Johnny, please! Anywhere else but my feet!" Pony started pleading yet again. Like how his armpits were his second most ticklish spot, his feet were his first, making that his weakest point that was bound to make him explode.
"Ah, now I remember," Johnny smirked once more as he untied one of Ponyboy's tennis shoes and slowly slipped it off to reveal a perfectly white sock to build up nervous suspense in Ponyboy, 'the victim.'
"...Remember what?" Pony swallowed a huge lump of nervousness that was resting in his throat.
"The fact that your soles just so happen to be your most ticklish spot. I remember how I used to watch Two-Bit and Steve 'kidnap' you, tie you up, blindfold you, then tickle your feet like tomorrow didn't exist when we were little kids." Johnny chuckled at the childhood memories that were coming back to him. Pony remembered those times too, but that only made him more worried over what was about to happen. Ponyboy clenched his eyes shut, hoping to God that he would be able to keep his laughter held in this time, but right after he felt one of Johnny's fingertips slowly dance along the side of his foot, he showered laughter at a whole new level.
"HAHAHAHHAHAHAAHHAAHAHA!" Ponyboy screamed at the top of his lungs, causing Johnny to cringe at how loud his laughter improved just over one small stroke.
"What do you know?" Johnny snickered, "this is still your weakest point, man."
"STOOPPPPAHAHAHAHA! PLEEEAASSSEEE! HAAVVEEHAHAHAHAMERRCCCYY! JOHNNYCAKE!"
However, Johnny wouldn't listen; instead, he started to dance all ten of his fingertips all over Pony's sock-wearing foot. The youngest Curtis laughed and laughed like it was his job, crying like a waterfall as he bucked and wiggled around like a worm on a hook, trying his best to kick his legs so he could get Johnny to quit it, but it was no use. Johnny was sitting too close to his ticklish feet for him to easily kick.
"Coochie coochie goo, Ponyboy!" Johnny playfully mocked, as if he was Two-Bit, and he continued to wiggle his fingers into Ponyboy's heel and arch until he decided to stop and begin to untie his other tennis shoe. Not only that, but just when Ponyboy attempted opening his mouth to object, Johnny pealed off both of his clean socks.
"Oh, no!" Pony gasped, "Johnny, please don't tickle my bare feet! I'm goin' to die! I can't handle it!"
"You mean, you want me to just put your socks back on? Sorry, Ponyboy, but that ain't tuff." informed Johnny, who took no hesitation to dig his nails deep into Ponyboy's very soft soles. Since Pony and Johnny had been hiking around for awhile before they made it to Jay Mountain, and not to mention the fact that they've kept their shoes and socks on since they arrived to the church, the sweat only made the tickling what felt like a thousand times worse; it made Pony's soles even more sensitive than what they already were.
Johnny squeezed and wiggled his fingers all over Pony's bare feet, sending the youngest Curtis into one heck of screaming cry of laughter. Ponyboy was squealing and roaring like his life depended on it. It was a good thing nobody lived close to Jay Mountain; otherwise, they'd think Pony was in danger or something.
"STOOOPPPPPHAHAHAHAHATICCKKLLLINGHAHAHAHMEEEE! HAHAHAHAPLEEAASSSEEE!" Ponyboy was crying so much that it was almost as if the abandoned church was going to become an indoor pool. It took all of Johnny's strength to keep him where he was since Pony was bucking around so much, and just when Ponyboy thought it couldn't get anymore worse, Johnny forced his toes back and scratched the smooth sensitive skin that rested underneath. Not only that, but the Cade also used the owl feather to trace inbetween each of Ponyboy's toes, right before he traced the feather all over Pony's sensitive arches and heels. Ponyboy was laughing so much that his laughter began to become hoarse. "NOOO! NOOTTTAHAHAHAHAMMYYYYAHAHAHHHAAAATOOOEEESS!" Just as the youngest Curtis felt like he was about to pass out right then and there, the Cade finally stopped.
"All right, I think you've had enough." Johnny grinned and tossed the owl feather away over his shoulder. After that, he helped the relieved Ponyboy put his shirt back down, then place his socks and shoes back on his feet. Suddenly, a pout swiped across Johnny's face. "Are you mad at me, Pone?" he wondered.
"Nah, I ain't mad," Ponyboy offered him an assuring smile, and he truly wasn't. He'd never admit it, but half of him was actually glad that Johnny tickled him. "I know you were only tryin' to cheer me up...and what do you know? It worked."
"Really?" Johnny actually sounded surprised. Pony nodded his head, still grinning at the Cade, who hesitated a moment before smiling back and untying Ponyboy's hands. "How are you feeling?" Johnny asked as he watched Pony squeeze and rub his wrists from where they were tied up.
"Thirsty and tired..." Ponyboy replied.
"Do you want to go outside and get a drink from the pump?" questioned Johnny, but to his surprise, a devious smirk formed on Pony's face as he shook his head. Johnny's eyes widened, but before he could say a word, Ponyboy tackled him down to the dusty ground and forced his hands above his head.
"What are you doin', Pone?" Johnny nervously asked, as if he didn't already know the answer when Ponyboy was able to succeed with tying his hands up over his head.
"I'm thirsty for revenge, Johnnycake! I warned you that you weren't goin' to get away with this!" Pony deviously, but playfully snickered at the sixteen-year-old boy. "It's my turn to force the laughter out of you!"
A/N: I know, it's weird, but I thought it would be kind of cute to write since I love how close Ponyboy and Johnny are. There's the next part of the two-shot coming up next, but if anybody wants me to continue writing these weird, but sort of humerous and cute one-shots, just message me or leave a review of who you want to be tickled and by who. This is just for fluff among "The Outsiders" characters, who are owned by S.E. Hinton! Please review! :D :D :D :D