Author's note-The story goes on and I'm going to try to make this an actually story with a plot instead of just a series of one-shots. I saw all the suggestions for two characters to 'fight it out' and I'm going to try to come up with an idea for each of them. BTW, if you are going to suggest a pairing, please just put ONE.
Anyway, this is for AlongTheBinding who asked for a Johnny/Two-Bit chapter.
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Laying on his bed with a Rolling Stones song blasting on the radio, Two-Bit was going through an 'adult' magazine trying his best to enjoy his last day of freedom as his mom had made him get a job at a nearby diner as a bus boy. He couldn't believe it, he was going to have a job starting tomorrow…and to be honest none of his friends could believe it either. The only good thing was that the job didn't start until the afternoon and went to the late hours on the night. He still had his mornings to sleep in.
Putting his magazine to the side, Two-Bit got up to leave his room. Going down the steps he reached the living room and saw that his guest wasn't here…but he had a pretty good idea of where he was.
Johnny had been staying at his house ever since the trial ended. It was the least he could do and he and his mom had been trying their best to make him feel at home. He had been through a lot over the last year. Honesty, he had been through a lot almost all his life.
Two-Bit's mom was a supervisor at a department store and also was receiving alimony and child support for his seven year old sister Karen from her ex-husband, (Two-Bit refused to think of him as his father.) So financially, they were a lot better off then his friends. It actually made Two-Bit feel a little guilty sometimes, especially when he thought of the Curtis's.
Anyway, back in the fall Johnny had to kill a soc in order to save Ponyboy's life. After that they went on the run and were gone for a full week. They hid out in a church which somehow caught fire when little kids where in it. He and Ponyboy risked their lives to get them out and during the course of it Johnny got hurt when a beam landed on his back.
He had to have surgery on his back and was in the hospital for nearly six months. Obviously his parents couldn't afford to pay for it so he got financial aid from the hospital and they wrote off his bills. It was certainly a hell of a nice things for them to do and they all had appreciated it.
After he was good enough to be let out, he was arrested for the murder and quickly put on trial. Ponyboy, that girl he liked Cherry, and that other boy, Randy all testified that it was self defense and luckily Johnny had gotten off. It certainly was a nail bitter for all of the gang, he was pretty sure Pony chewed his all the way to the nub.
As Two-Bit thought about all that, he reached the door to the backyard and went outside. Sure enough, Johnny was leaning up against the house and looking up at the sky. It was getting late which meant the sky was turning all different kinds of colors as the sun was slowly going down. Johnny had made it a habit of watching the sunset ever since he moved in.
"Hey buddy." Two-Bit greeted. "I gotta go to work tomorrow, I can't believe it…my mom got me a job. It's gonna be slave labor I'm tellin' ya."
Johnny smiled a little and nodded but didn't respond.
"I missed Ponyboy the other night. He would have had a good time with us."
Since they got caught sneaking into the Nightly Double they had to go to a new theater. Two-Bit flirted with the ticket girl while Johnny snuck in and opened the back entrance for him. Even after he said that, Johnny again didn't respond and Two-Bit could tell that something was bothering him.
"What's with you?" He asked.
"I got my schedule for classes this year." Johnny sighed took it out from his pocket and unfolded it. "I don't know if I want to go back."
Due to the amount of school he missed, Johnny was going to have to repeat the tenth grade while Ponyboy was moving on to the eleventh. But it wasn't just that, everyone knew that Johnny had killed Bob…he knew he was going to get the 'that's him' looks from the other students and probably even teachers.
Johnny really didn't have to worry about the socs. Ever since the rumble things finally settled down…no more jumpings, no fights, the two groups pretty much left each other alone. Maybe the death of Bob made things too real. It made everyone realize that this wasn't a game.
But Two-Bit was sure Johnny was still concerned about them possibly coming for him for revenge. With that scar on his cheek, he wasn't sure he could blame him.
"I think you should go." Two-Bit finally answered. "I know it's crazy for me to be saying this but, it wouldn't hurt to think about your future."
Johnny put the piece of paper away as he looked back up towards the sky.
"I still think about it sometimes…you know, that night…killing that soc."
Two-Bit frowned a little. He knew his buddy still felt guilty about that, even if he had no choice but to do it.
"If you hadn't of done it Ponyboy would have died." Two-Bit responded. "Would you'd rather it have been Pony?"
"Of course not!" Johnny answered incredulously.
"All right then. You didn't have a choice, you saved your best friends life, hell you saved little kids in a fire…you're a hero."
Johnny gave him a little smile but didn't say anything in return. Okay, that was it.
Two-Bit then grabbed Johnny by his blue-jeans jacket, pulling him into a side headlock and began violently messing up his hair.
"What are you doing?"
"This is god-damn depressing! Cheer up damn it! I'm the one who should be depressed, I have to work tomorrow!"
Two-Bit then let him go and ran to the trampoline they had set up in the backyard. It was a trampoline that had been bought for his sister but that didn't stop Two-Bit from using it as well. He began jumping on it but suddenly more weight had been added as Johnny got on it and tackled Two-Bit.
"You think you can take me?" Two-Bit said as he struggled to get his buddy off him.
"I'm pretty sure I can." Johnny answered as he tried to get him in a choke hold but Two-Bit was bigger and he managed to stand up with Johnny still on him. Two-Bit picked Johnny up over his head and gave him a body slam, the same kind you see wrestlers give each other on television.
The wind was momentarily knocked out of him as Two-Bit leaned down and placed his knee firmly on Johnny's chest.
"Do you see what you get Johnnycakes!? Do you see what you get when mess with the warrior!"
Johnny couldn't help but laugh a little as he shoved Two-Bit's knee of him. Two-Bit then tried to go after him again but Johnny got his legs up and planted his feet into Two-Bit's chest, sending him flying backwards.
Johnny quickly lifted himself up and launched himself on Two-Bit's back as he got up, going for that chokehold again. The older boy cursed as he was being strangled and he kept moving to the right. He wasn't paying any attention to the fact he was running out of trampoline space and fell right off, crashing to the ground with Johnny's weight on him.
"You give up?"
Johnny had his arm tight under Two-Bit's chin, cutting off his air, his face was also in the grass. Two-Bit tried to answer but couldn't and it was then did he realize it might have been too tight and loosened it a little.
"Jesus, Johnny." Two-Bit gasped as he lifted his head up. "You trying to kill me?"
"Sorry."
After getting a few breaths in, Two-Bit rolled himself over and managed to shove Johnny off of him. Johnny hit the ground and before he could get up Two-Bit was on top of him, giving his ribs a few playful punches before locking him in a front-face lock.
"Call uncle." He ordered.
Johnny answered to that by jammed his fingers into Two-Bit's ribs.
"Ow!"
Two-Bit jumped off him and clutched at his rib-cage. Dally must have taught him that. Johnny then ran inside the house and tried to lock him out but Two-Bit grabbed the door before he could and ran after him. He tried to tackle Johnny but he ducked and he ended up flying over the couch and crashing to the floor with a loud thud.
Two-Bit groaned a little as he staggered back up only to have his legs swept out from under him and hitting the floor again, this time landing on his back. Johnny then jumped on his friend and they began rolling around, bumping right into the stand which held the television and it rocked a little.
"Not the T.V!" Two-Bit yelled as he quickly stood up and steadied it before sighing with relief. "Oh thank you, it's okay."
Johnny gave him a strange look as Two-Bit reached to the television as if it was an infant. He didn't have time to react as Two-Bit jumped on him again but Johnny rolled them over so he was sitting on Two-Bit's waist and grabbed both his hands to stop him from doing anything to defend himself.
"Say uncle." He ordered, a little proud of himself as he and Ponyboy usually always lost when it came to wrestling with anyone in the gang.
Unbeknownst to them, the front door had opened and Ms. Mathews and Karen had arrived home and were standing in the doorway. To say the two boys were in a compromising position was an understatement. She cleared her throat to get their attention and they looked over at them with wide eyes.
"Hey mom, hey Karen." Two-Bit greeted from under Johnny before looking up at his friend. "Johnny, I told you before, I like you as a friend but I ain't into this."
Johnny's face burned bright red with embarassment as he quickly stood up while Two-Bit began to laugh hysterically. Ms. Mathews shook her head as she took Karen's hand and led her upstairs.
"You've gotten stronger, Johnnycakes." Two-Bit said as he got up. "I guess I'll have to take you seriously next time."
"I had you." Johnny responded.
"Yeah, not bad kiddo." Two-Bit then threw his arm over Johnny's neck as the two of them headed out the front door, looking to find something to do tonight to celebrate Two-Bit's last night before he became a working man.
