Sorry for the long awaited update! My deepest apologies.

Warnings: very, very brief mentions of sex but not graphic at all, language, verbal abuse

Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders

The door was opened by a blonde boy with greenish gray eyes and nearly transparent skin. He wore a baggy blue sweatshirt and ripped jeans. His eyes widened at the sight of Tiffany Adderson standing upon his doorstop.

"Ponyboy," she mumbled, "is Soda home?

He glared at her. "Why do you wanna know?"

"I, um, I just need to talk to him about... the other night," she murmured, the small amount of courage she had mustered up leaving her at the sight of the boy she had bullied. "Pony, I'm really sorry about everything I've said and did to you and to Soda. Please, just bring him out here."

He stared at her coldly. "I will, but first, we need to talk, Adderson."

Ponyboy shut the door behind him as he stepped out onto the porch and glared at her.

"Tiffany Quinn Adderson, you make Soda very happy; I don't think I've seen him this happy since Mom and Dad were alive. Even when he was with Sandy, he was never this happy or cheerful. He loves you, and I am willing to overlook our rivalry and the fact that you bullied me for my older brother because I love him."

"Thank you," she gasped in relief.

"But," she deflated as he continued, "I will not overlook you hurting Sodapop. You've hurt him, and if he forgives you, I will as well. But if you ever hurt him again, he may overlook it or ignore it, but I will not. Understood?" He glowered at her.

"Yes, I understand completely and I am here to show him that I love him just as much, if not more," Tiffany confessed.

Ponyboy nodded. "I'll go get him, but Tiffany, please, I have never done anything to you or asked you for anything. Just do me a favor and don't break my brother. You're not the only one that needs him."

He whirled around and slammed the door in her face. It opened moments later, and Sodapop Patrick Curtis steppes out to face her.

"Tiffany," he greeted, voice and expression as hard as stone.

"Soda, I am so sorry," she said, choking back a sob. "And I will do anything to get you to forgive me. I've apologized to Pony and I'm going to find away to make it up to him. And now, I'm saying sorry to you and I will do anything to earn your forgiveness. Just... name your price, Soda."

He shook his head, and she could see tears brimming his brown eyes. "You really hurt me, Tiffany, and you hurt my kid brother. I don't know if that is forgivable."

"Soda, I will get down on my knees if I need to because I care about you. It's just... you remember Bob Shelton?" She blurted and cursed herself. She'd never told anyone about her big brother feelings towards Bob; even Randy thought they were just good friends, not family.

He nodded, warily.

"Randy has known Bob since he was around two, therefore I've known him since I was born. He was like my big brother and I know that he made a lot of bad decisions, but that didn't stop me from looking up to him. When he died and I know it was self defense, but still, when you lose your brother... you start looking for someone to blame. The person I chose happened to be your brother, Soda."

He looked so shocked that Tiffany almost laughed or cried, whichever came first. Did everyone think that she didn't have feelings? Did she just give out that vibe?

She sighed. "I wasn't the same after Bob died and no one else was either. Randy was depressed and my parents went off the deep end because Bob was like their adopted son. None of those things helped. Soda, I've made a lot of mistakes, maybe because I've been following Bob's path, the person I've looked up to since I was a baby. And Soda, you started changing me, I wouldn't be here apologizing if you didn't. I need you, Soda. I don't want to see die at eighteen like Bob did, but even I'll admit that that's where I'm heading because no one has been trying to save me. You're the first one the even tried."

Her voice was breaking wildly, much to her horror.

"I forgive you, TQA," a voice broke into her thoughts.

"You shouldn't," she sniffed, looking at the sidewalk.

"Well, I do," Soda tilted her head up, so that she could look into his eyes and he stroked her tear soaked face. The rain pitter pattered upon the ground. She hadn't even realized it'd begun to rain. "Tiffany Quinn Adderson, I love you, and I'm going to trust you. I haven't trusted since Sandy dumped me."

"I haven't trusted since Bob died, so I guess we're in the same boat," she whimpered and he hugged her.

She never done this before- breaking down on anyone, much less a Greaser's, shoulder. Yet, tears soaked Soda's shoulder.

"Sodapop Patrick Curtis, I need you to promise me something."

He pulled back to look her in the eye, but kept his arms wrapped tightly around her. "What is it?"

"I'm going to give you my heart of glass, and I'm going trust you not to break it. I'll start unlocking it, but you have to promise not to make me regret this," she whispered.

"I promise," he pecked her on the lips just as the door opened.

"Holy shit, Soda, you're gonna get hypertherm... ia," Darry's mouth dropped open at the sight before him. "Uh, did I interrupt something?"

"Darry, I told you about Tiffany. She's apologized and I'm willing to try again if she is." He turned to her.

"Did you even have to ask?" She giggled.

"Darry, can I borrow the truck to take her home?"

"Sure," Darry smiled slightly. "Go right ahead."

"I'll load up your bike, " Soda offered. As soon as he was out of earshot, Tiffany turned to Darry.

"Sir, I know this is something a boy asks a girl's father, but I've always been known for being different. I want to ask you for your blessing to date Sodapop," she said.

Darry looked momentarily shocked before he grinned. "Tiffany, I can tell that you make Sodapop happy, and that's all I want for him. Just don't break him or I'll break you, got it?"

She nodded with a smile.

"I'm not getting any younger," Soda called jokingly and Tiffany said goodbye before hopping into the passengers seat.

The car ride was silent for a while until we were eight down the street from her house.

"You wanna go out Friday night? It can be our first official date, and we can pray nothing goes wrong," he laughed.

"Well, don't jinx it!" Tiffany giggled. "And you didn't even have to ask."

She kissed him lightly in the cheek, causing him to blush, before racing inside.

"Where have you been?!" Her mother screeched as Tiffany hesitantly stepped inside.

"Um, I was out with Sodapop," she mumbled as her mom towered over her.

Jennifer Adderson snorted. "Sodapop? Now, that lie was just pathetic. What boy would want you? "

"Soda does!" Tiffany snapped.

"There are no boys names Soda, so stop lying to me, young lady," the woman glared harshly.

"His name is Sodapop Curtis, and he is re-" She realized her mistake too late as she clamped her mouth shut.

Jenny's brown eyes widened. "Curtis... as in Ponyboy Curtis? That juvenile delinquent? What is wrong with you? Are you really so desperate that you're sleeping around with some hood?"

"It was our first date!" Tiffany shouted. "We did not engage in that, and Soda is not a hood! He's different! On that note, Ponyboy was a hero, not a juvenile delinquent!"

"Bring that boy by for Sunday dinner next week and I'll decide for myself, Trinity Adderson!" Her mother stormed into the kitchen and slammed the door behind her,

"It's Tiffany," she murmured.

Her mother didn't approve of anyone, much less a Greaser (Jenny hated them with a passion). What was she going to do?

This is going to be a 100 chapter story, so I do except requests/ideas. Feel free to leave one in my PM or in a review. Thanks.