A/N: thanks for all of the reviews!

Chapter Seven: [third person]

Darry checked Johnny over, and it turned out only two ribs were broken, which was better then what it looked like, judging by the looks of it. He had a severely broken nose, which Darry would have to reset. All of the rest were mainly bruises. Johnny would recover fairly quickly, aside from the broken bones.

Poor Johnny, Ponyboy thought. He don't deserve the life he has. He deserves better.

He watched Darry set the poor boy's nose. Johnny had never broken his nose before, (if only he could say that about the other bones in his body) and he didn't expect it to hurt this bad. After all, it was just his nose.

He was horribly wrong.

The whole process was painful. Darry put his hands gently on either side of Johnny's nose, and slowly moved the bone back into place.

Johnny felt bone grinding against bone, and made a sound in the back of his throat. Ponyboy felt sorry for him. He winced.

The bone clicked into place, and Darry put a bandage of sorts across the injured boy's nose.

He didn't look too tuff, but Darry told Johnny he had to wear it. Johnny thought Darry was intimidating, so he obeyed without question.

Darry told him to lay down and rest for the next week or so, to let his body heal. He told Johnny he could stay at the Curtis house, and Johnny thankfully agreed.

It was about midday, a few days after Johnny's dad beat him up. Ponyboy was sitting in his room, day-dreaming, when a sudden moan took him away from his thoughts. It had to be Johnny. He was the only other one in the house.

He got up and went into the living room. He saw Johnny on the couch.

"Johnny? What's wrong?" he went over to the small boy.

"My ribs," Johnny moaned. "They…t-they hurt Ponyboy. Real bad," he whispered. Tears were threatening to make their way into the tan boy's eyes.

Ponyboy's heart swelled. He thought Johnny was just so cute when he was all vulnerable and weak like this, but he would never admit it.

The small boy's face contorted in pain.

Before Ponyboy knew what he was doing, he caressed Johnny's face gently, wiping the tears before they came.

"It'll be okay, Johnny," he said softly. What am I doing? This is wrong. Really wrong…Ponyboy thought. But he made no move to stop.

Johnny blushed bright red. He leaned into Ponyboy's touch.

Ponyboy took Johnny's hand boldly. Johnny looked shocked, and Ponyboy thought he made a mistake. But Johnny intertwined his fingers with Pony's, so Ponyboy figured he did something right.

Johnny was surprised. Sure, he'd be happy to hold Pony's hand any day. But what if he was just teasing him? What if Ponyboy thought he meant it now, but later he'd run away

and leave Johnny even more heartbroken?

The words were out of Johnny's mouth before he could stop them.

"I love you."

Ponyboy was shocked. Sure, Johnny said he was in love with him for a year now, but he had never told him directly.

Those words were like reality slapping him in the face.

He didn't know what to say. He didn't love Johnny back, not yet. He wasn't even sure if he could fall in love with him. He was a boy, after all.

Ponyboy doubted all of his previous feelings. He yanked his hand out of Johnny's, and backed away slowly. What have I done? He wasn't gay, or at least that's what he was telling himself.

Meanwhile, Johnny was heartbroken, yet again. I'm so stupid, he thought. If I'd a' just kept my trap shut… he cursed inwardly. He screwed up, yet again.

Maybe Ponyboy didn't like him that way. Maybe he never could. But Johnny couldn't just keep letting Ponyboy play with his heart like this. It wasn't fair to Johnny.

"P-Pony…" Ponyboy looked up slowly.

"Either ya like me or ya don't…ya can't just like me when it's good for you. I won't let ya play with my heart much longer, Pony." That was a long sentence for Johnny. Johnny had tears in his eyes once again.

Ponyboy was even more confused. At first he thought he liked Johnny, but was it just brotherly love? Now that he looked back on it, it could have been.

Some part of him liked Johnny the same way Johnny liked him. He wanted Johnny, too, but it was wrong. The gang would hate him. His brothers would hate him.

But what was more important: the gang, or Johnny?

He left Johnny there. He thought he knew what he wanted. Now he wasn't so sure.

Meanwhile, Darry came home from work. It was his lunch break, and he came home to check on Johnny briefly before returning to work, as he did every day.

The oldest Curtis brother saw tears in Johnny's eyes.

"What hurts, Johnnycake?" he asked. He went in the kitchen for medicine.

"My heart," Johnny mumbled to himself.

"What Johnny? I didn't hear ya," Darry replied.

Johnny blushed. "My ribs," he said a little louder.

"I'll get ya some medicine."

A/N: okay I said there would be some Pony/Johnny, and there was. I don't want to rush it, you see, because then it would be like every other Pony/Johnny story "Oh, I've secretly loved you too! Let's be gay lovers!". I have to make it at least a little bit realistic. Keep in mind, Ponyboy didn't even think of guys this way until Johnny told him his crush, so Ponyboy is mentally having a conflict with his emotions. It is the 60's, after all, most people aren't tolerant of gays.

Just keep that in mind.

Besides, in later chapters, I have a special twist in the plot. You'll see.

Review! :)