Title: Favor

Author: The Emcee

Pairing: Johnny/Ponyboy

Rating: T for some bad language (like, one word, but still…)

Summary: Ponyboy may be a smart omega, but he can be pretty oblivious to a lot of important things on occasion. Like being presented with a favor from his alpha best friend, Johnny, for example. Omegaverse. Slash.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or the fandom.

A/N: It's been a long, long time since I've written an Outsiders fanfic, and I've recently had the itch to do so, so here it is. It's set in an Omegaverse AU where there are alphas, betas, and omegas. Google it if you're curious and want a more in-depth definition. This story contains male homosexuality, so if you don't like that, then you should probably not read this. If you do read it, please feel free to leave a comment in the towel section down below. This story isn't beta read, so if you see any mistakes, please let me know so that I can fix them. Enjoy!

~…~

Favor

~…~

Ponyboy was often told he was a pretty smart dumb kid. He was book smart and had a pretty good memory, but he could be oblivious to the world around him. One could say he was a bit too carefree, airheaded even, and that was no good. Darry often said that he ought to be more careful since he was an omega and all. If he were in the wrong neighborhood and in his monthly heat cycle, he'd be done for. Alphas were naturally attracted to omegas, especially when they were in heat, and there were more than enough news stories and recorded historical documents that gave explicit details to what happened to unlucky omegas caught off guard.

But not all alphas were jerks who just wanted to stick their dicks in something hot and slick. Pony had been surrounded by alphas all of his life and, for the most part, they were pretty cool. Everyone in the gang apart from him were alphas, even Johnny, which surprised Ponyboy. He thought for sure Johnny would be an omega, but low and behold, he was one hundred percent alpha. He just didn't act like it, preferring to sit back and wait before striking. That was what he was like as an alpha. It suited him, Ponyboy thought. In a way, he was kind of like Two-Bit in that sense. Still, not being the only omega in the gang would have been nice. Johnny was still easy to talk to, and no one in the gang tried to do anything to him when he was in heat aside from keep him safe if they were out and about and making sure he didn't receive any unwanted attention.

There weren't a plethora of stories on the news or in newspapers about omegas getting attacked by alphas; it was more of a 'once-in-a-blue-moon' kind of thing, really, as there wasn't any need for it. A courting system was set up centuries ago to prevent unwanted actions taking place against omegas. It wasn't anything grandiose or extravagant or anything like that; all it was was a simple gesture. Favors, they were called these days. An alpha would present the omega he or she so desired with a favor – food, drinks, books, flowers, and the like – and if the omega reciprocated and accepted the offering, then things took off from there. Easy peasy. Of course, if an alpha present a favor to an omega who was already bound to an alpha, then things went downhill real fast. Alphas didn't like it when someone else, whether they be alpha, beta, or even another omega tried to take what was theirs.

Ponyboy didn't really think about stuff like that. It wasn't a big issue for him, regardless of his omega status. His mind was focused mostly on books, movies, school, keeping Darry off of his back, and the gang. He was fourteen after all; young to be an omega experiencing heats, but it wasn't uncommon for omegas who lived around a large group of alphas to start their heat cycles earlier than usual. And there were a lot of alphas in Tulsa.

Stretching his arms out above his head and arching his back, Ponyboy yawned and ran a hand through his reddish-brown hair. He was almost finished with his math homework, but he was tired and needed a break. As he stood up from his desk, he heard the front door open and close. For once, the house was empty and quiet and he could hear everything going on.

Leaving his and Soda's bedroom, Ponyboy stepped out into the living room. Upon seeing Johnny standing there, a grin broke out across his face.

"Hey, Johnnycakes. What's going on?" he asked, approaching his best friend.

Johnny looked nervous, he noticed. That in and of itself wasn't entirely unusual when they were roaming the streets or at school or anywhere that wasn't the Curtis home. However, they were standing in Ponyboy's living room, and if there was one place on this planet that Johnny always felt safe and relaxed in, it was in his house.

"Are you okay, Johnny?" Ponyboy asked, stepping closer to the taller boy. He felt his head, worried Johnny might be sick or something, but he felt fine. Pulling away, Ponyboy frowned and waited for Johnny to answer him.

"I, uh, I'm just fine, Ponyboy," Johnny said after what felt like hours on end.

"Then why are ya lookin' so nervous? It's just me," Ponyboy pressed. If something was bugging Johnny this badly, it must have been something major. Johnny was pretty tough; he had to be with folks like his.

"There's…there's been something I've been meaning to give you. I just…haven't had the guts to do it," Johnny told him. "But…well, now's as good a time as any, I guess."

And with that, he pulled a copy of Gone With the Wind from inside his jacket and handed it to Ponyboy. With wide eyes, Ponyboy gazed at the book he held in his hands. It was a book he had often talked about wanting to read, but had never had the chance to. Money was always tight around his house, and it was the same for practically everyone else on this side of town. Any books he owned had either belong to his parents or he was found out on the street. None of them were new and they were all well-worn.

This book…this was new.

"Wow, Johnny. Where'd you get this?" Ponyboy asked as he gently flipped through the pages of the book, a small smile full of wonder and awe on his face as he did so. Johnny seemed to relax and gave Ponyboy a small smile of his own.

"At the store. You mentioned it awhile back and, well…I've…been meanin' to give you something, so it just made sense," Johnny explained, shrugging in an attempt to act casual, but the nervous glint in his eyes betrayed him.

Ponyboy's thoughts didn't linger on it too long, though. He was itching to start reading his new book.

"You're the best pal anyone could ask for. Thanks, Johnnycakes," Pony said, giving the older teen a wide grin.

Johnny looked at him expectantly, as though the reaction he had received wasn't entirely what he was looking for. Pony felt his smile dwindle just a bit; was there something he was missing? Whatever it was, he failed to figure it out in time as Johnny's shoulders slumped a little bit and he cast his gaze downward.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you to your readin'. I'll see ya tomorrow," Johnny said. He was out the door before Ponyboy could reply with a confused, "See ya tomorrow."

After a moment's hesitation, and with confusion still clouding his otherwise giddy demeanor, Pony returned to his bedroom and sat down on the bed, completely engrossed in the novel, all the while never losing that warm feeling in his chest. For whatever reason, the fact that Johnny had thought of him and had gotten him that book just made him feel good. Real good. It was a feeling he liked a lot.

~…~

Three days later, it finally sunk it what Johnny meant by giving Ponyboy that copy of Gone With the Wind.

Johnny had been quiet, withdrawn, and sullen the past few days, and Ponyboy couldn't for the life of him figure out why. He had thanked Johnny a few times for it, but bringing up the book always seemed to make matters worse, so it wasn't that Johnny thought he was being ungrateful or anything. It wasn't until Two-Bit made an off-handed comment to Darry early this morning that Johnny was acting like an alpha whose favor was rejected by an omega that it finally hit Pony.

The book wasn't just any book just given to him on a whim; it had been meant as a favor. A token that Johnny was interested in him as a partner without spelling it out in big, black letters. Big black letters might've worked a whole lot better, actually.

Ponyboy felt so utterly stupid when he realized this. He would've banged his head on the kitchen table had Darry, Soda, Steve, and Two-Bit not been there. No wonder plenty of people thought he was the dumbest smart kid in the neighborhood. Johnny's reaction made sense now; as Ponyboy hadn't confirmed or rejected his favor or even acknowledge it as such, of course he'd be disappointed and let down.

However, this realization brought on another factor to the equation: did Pony accept the favor or not?

Honestly, Ponyboy had never thought about Johnny being his alpha mate. Romantic relationships in general had never been something he really thought about or sought after; the only romance he really delved into were the ones he read in his books, but that was about it. Now, though, he had to think about it, about how he felt about Johnny. This wasn't a matter he could take lightly, and this wasn't just any alpha either.

This was Johnny, his best friend, the one he could depend on for anything, the one he could have a whole conversation with without even uttering a word, the one person in the gang he was closest to aside from Soda. Johnny was different; Johnny was special. And while he may not have the appearance of an alpha, Ponyboy knew that Johnny would fight tooth and claw to survive. If Pony accepted his favor, Johnny would take care of him, be good to him, and treat him right. He'd be loyal, faithful, and everything an alpha should be. Even more so, in Pony's mind, because it was Johnny and that was how he was, who he was.

Ponyboy's mind was made up by the time he left the house, and when he saw Johnny he damn near knocked him over, he hugged him so fast and hard. Practically clinging to the taller teen, Ponyboy breathed in his scent and sighed, feeling lighter than he had in a long time, especially when Johnny returned his embrace. It felt good to be in those arms, and he didn't want to ever leave them.

"I accept," Ponyboy told him when he finally pulled away. Johnny's look of consternation shifted just enough to let his surprise shine through at Pony's words.

"You…you do?" he asked hesitantly, almost as though he were afraid of the answer he'd receive.

"Yeah, I do. I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out. I'm such an idiot," Ponyboy said, feeling genuinely regretful over the situation. Johnny gave him a small smile.

"Yeah, well, you're a loveable idiot, so I guess that counts for something," he replied. After a moment, he added, "I've been wanting to give you a favor ever since you're first heat, but I've been too chicken to do it."

Pony gave him a soft smile and pressed his smaller body against Johnny's, face buried in the older teen's neck. "I'm glad you did. And you're not chicken, Johnny. You're the toughest person I know."

"Listen to you, tryin' to suck up now," Johnny teased. They both shared a laugh before Pony pulled away.

"C'mon, we gotta get going," he said, gesturing in the direction of the school. The last thing either of them needed was to be late.

They walked together in silence, their bodies closer than they would have been normally. Ponyboy was grinning like a fool, but he didn't care. He had his alpha at his side and he was happy. For once, he was looking forward to his monthly heats. It may have taken him a couple of days, but he eventually came to his senses. Better late than never, he guessed.