A/N: Random idea that just came to mind, really. I've wanted to do much more stuff on this pairing for a long time.

Warnings: Slash. Don't like it don't read…well, read if you want actually. I mean, I just warned you. As for flaming, well, I'd be laughing. Yesh.

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Ponyboy stared at his strangely colored food. He had wished that Darry didn't have to pull a night shift, or ever having to. So Sodapop would never go near the stove again. How Sodapop managed to make green rice and blue chicken was way beyond anyone's mind.

"C'mon, Pony, eat," Soda said, "Two-Bit said you lost yer appetite at lunch."

"And I think I lost it again,"

Soda was able to tell by Pony's tone that he just didn't want to eat his cooked food, even though he worked an hour and a half on making it. While making an annoyed smile expression, the phone rang. Soda got up from his place of seat to answer the phone.

"Hello?" Pause.

"Oh, uh…hey, Mr. Randle!" What was Steve's dad calling them for?

"Really? Umm…well, I don't know." Another pause.

"No, no, I'm excited. Uh, in fact, consider me packing right now,"

While Soda was talking on the phone, Ponyboy was about to make his way to throwing his food to the garbage and lie that he ate it all, but when he heard the click of the phone being placed back into the receiver, Ponyboy quickly sat back down.

Soda came in, "I'm sleeping over at Steve's," he said, "I'd rather just keep my questions to his dad to myself."

Soda didn't have a problem about sleeping over at Steve's. In fact, he'd be delighted. It had been such a long time since they had a sleepover. However, when they reached 4th grade, Steve's father became an alcoholic. Soda never stepped inside the house since.

Ponyboy looked at Soda strangely as the older teenager packed his pajamas in an old bag, but kept his thoughts about it to himself.

Soda has told Ponyboy his farewell and reminded him to tell Darry about his disappearance in the morning.

'Gee, I wonder what Darry would think,' Ponyboy thought to himself, and shrugged it off quickly.

After Soda left through the screen door, Pony looked through the window, making sure his older brother had departed safely. Once Soda got out of sight, Pony got to the table where the plates of food was left behind and threw them away. 'I'll just make myself a sandwich…' he thought.

The sky had become darker from a mixture of light and dark to complete darkness with few gem-like figures sparkling through it. Screaming echoed through the dark night.

A dark figure ran out of a house at the highest velocity as he can. He skidded into a halt, leaning on a light post across the road and gasping for air.

At the house he was running out from, light from inside shone through a man, forming a human shadow at the opened door.

"Mother fucker," the man said as he moved to close the door.

Johnny was still leaning on the light post, looking back at the closing door. Once the door clicked closed, he looked forward. Once he had composed himself, he realized he had forgotten his jacket. Bad timing as well. It was a cold night in the beginning of an early spring.

Luckily, it wasn't big of a deal. The Curtis's house was just a mere few twenty yards away from where he was.

After the short, cold walk, Johnny went inside the house, closing the door as quietly as he can. He tiptoed to the couch, reached for the blanket that was placed on the headrest, and laid himself on the couch, landing his head to the armrest.

A loud scream caused his body to jolt on the couch. A breathed deeply, wondering from where it was coming from. It sounded it came from Soda an Pony's room…

Johnny got up from the couch and ran into their room. There he saw Ponyboy alone on the bed, thrashing about and screaming, obviously having a bad nightmare. Where was Soda? And wouldn't Darry hear the scream, too? Putting that aside, Johnny rushed to Ponyboy's side.

Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around Ponyboy, trying to keep his thrashing body in control.

"Pone, it's okay! It's only a dream!" Johnny yelled out, trying to keep this situation in control as best as he could.

That didn't stop though. In fact, tears started escaping through Pony's closed eyelids. Johnny never saw him look this vulnerable before. It pained him to see Ponyboy like this.

Suddenly, it seemed that his body became exhausted from the thrashing and struggling, because Pony started to relax in Johnny's arms. He was now breathing heavily. He opened his eyes slightly while in his breathing state, introducing his eyes to Johnny's worried ones.

Johnny gently places Ponyboy into a laying position on the bed, letting him go. He didn't leave his side though.

Ponyboy stopped breathing so heavily and blinked a few times at Johnny. The room grew quiet then as they were looking at each other in the eyes, and Johnny broke the silence.

"Where're yer brothers, Pone?" he asked.

"Darry's pulling a night shift," Ponyboy replied, "and Soda's sleeping over at Steve's. Don't ask."

Johnny didn't ask any questions, although he was slightly confused. He simply stayed in Ponyboy's side, stroking his hair, giving the younger teen comfort after his nightmare experience, knowing that he had to be really tired.

Ponyboy was lying on his back, allowing Johnny to stroke his hair. He hadn't felt this comfortable and warm all night. He gave a few very tired blinks and eventually drifted into a dreamless rest.

Johnny saw Ponyboy's relaxed body and eyes closed. He knew he had fallen asleep. He was about to make his way back to the couch, but had a second thought. It'd be better if he stayed sleeping with Ponyboy tonight. 'I'm sure he won't mind,' he thought.

Johnny placed himself underneath the blanket and rested his head on Soda's unoccupied pillow. He, too, drifted off to a peaceful sleep

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A/N: So, like it? Don't like it? Curious to why Steve's dad invited Sodapop over? Well, I wanted to make it into the story, but it would be too out of it, so I'll might as well explain it here. Steve's dad bribed Steve forgiveness for money. Steve didn't want the money. So, his dad insisted him in inviting Sodapop over to sleep. Steve gets worried. The end.

I'll post up the next four chapters/shots/whatever as soon as possible!