Chapter 25 – "Let's Go on a Double Date!"

Two days before classes started Steve returned to the school. Sodapop went to meet him in his dorm and found both him and Evie there - engaging in an enthusiastic reunion kiss.

"Am I interrupting something?" Soda grinned, standing in the doorway.

"Unless you wanna join, then yes," Steve teased.

Steve was the jealous type and could joke about this only because he knew Soda would never dream of kissing his girl.

"I would if I didn't have my own lovely boyfriend," Soda grinned.

"Ah, yes, the mystery boy."

"No longer. He just gave me permission to reveal his identity!" beamed Sodapop

"Oh?" both Steve and Evie said, surprised.

"So, who is it?" Steve asked, getting impatient with Sodapop who seemed to enjoy dragging it out for as long as he could.

"Well..." drawled Soda. "When I told Darry I'd gotten myself a boyfriend, guess who he thought it was? You!"

"What!" cried Steve, turning white. "Why the hell would he think that?"

Evie couldn't help laughing at the panicked expression on her boyfriend's face.

"It's not funny! No offence, Soda, but I ain't gay! Evie, we gotta make out more in public!"

"Man, you're easy!" Sodapop laughed and gave Evie a high five.

Steve eyed him and said in an irritated voice, "Just tell me who your boy toy is, already."

"Well, it's the lovely Mr. Cade," smiled Soda.

He hadn't realized how much he had actually been looking forward to telling them. It was as if every time a new person knew about it, the relationship became more real.

"Oh, he is so cute," Evie said, making Steve flash her a displeased look. "Oh, stop being so jealous," she said.

Steve sighed and then grinned at Soda. "Congrats, man! You got yourself a geek."

Steve had pretty much guessed it was Johnny, but he didn't want to tell Soda and spoil his excitement.

"You have to keep quiet about it, though. He gets bullied enough as it is." Soda dropped down on Steve's bed. "He's just... he's amazing," he sighed happily. "I think this is the one. He's just so… I love him."

"That's great man," Steve said and lit a smoke.

Evie sent him a reproachful look. He knew she didn't like him smoking and certainly not inside. He already had a few warnings and she didn't want him expelled.

"You know what?" said Soda eagerly. "We should go on a double date! There's still two days left of Christmas break and we can go where we want."

"Oh, yes, that would be awesome!" Evie said eagerly.

"Great!" beamed Soda. "Let's do it now!"

o0o0o

Sodapop slammed open the door to Ponyboy's room where Johnny and Pony were sitting playing a game on the PC. They both jumped - especially Johnny, who wasn't as desensitized to Soda's rambunctious behavior as Pony.

"Johnny - we're going on a date with Steve and Evie!"

"N-now?"

"Yup, now! Get your gear and let's go."

"We're in the middle of a game, Soda!" Ponyboy complained.

He was happy for them, of course, but the annoying thing about his brother dating his best friend was that Soda took up so much of Johnny's time.

"Can't… can't we finish this first?" Johnny asked.

He didn't want to just ditch Ponyboy. He was also enjoying himself with the game and Pony's company and they hadn't spent much time together just the two of them lately.

Sodapop moaned but agreed to let them finish the game and left.

An hour later they were done and Johnny said goodbye to Pony and went out into the living room where Soda sat waiting, looking very bored.

"Sorry..." Johnny said.

"It's ok. Pony wants a piece of you too. I've been hogging you a lot, and that ain't really fair, to him," smiled Soda and gave Johnny a big wet kiss.

"See you guys," said Pony as they were about to leave.

"Hey - you can come too!" suggested Sodapop.

"No thanks. I don't wanna be fifth wheel on a double date."

"We'll have to find you a nice girlfriend soon so we can go on triple dates."

"Um - no, no. I'll find one myself, thank you."

Ponyboy could just imagine Soda coming dragging with one girl after another, presenting them for Pony until there was one he liked.

o0o0o

Sodapop surprised Steve and Evie on the bed when he walked into the dorm without knocking.

Evie quickly covered herself and Steve jumped off the bed and wrapped a blanket around himself.

"God dammit, Soda, learn to knock, man!"

Johnny's face burning hot with embarrassment, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.

Sodapop just laughed. "You scared that if I see you naked I'm gonna start fantasizing about you?"

"Don't even go there, man," Steve said, pointing a finger threateningly at him.

"Come on - you knew I was gonna come back soon and you didn't lock the door. I can do the math."

"I made the mistake of assuming you had the decency to not just barge in. I guess I should've known better."

Looking very embarrassed, Evie wrapped her blanket around herself and snuck into the bathroom.

"You wanna finish up?" Soda grinned. "Johnny and I can just wait outside..."

"No, you kinda ruined the mood," Steve answered moodily. "Wait outside while we get dressed."

o0o0o

They drove to a town about thirty miles away, both to see something new and because Steve took every opportunity he could get to drive his beloved car. It was a little early for dinner so they decided to walk a bit around town first window-shopping.

Johnny flinched and looked nervously up at Sodapop when he took his hand and entwined their fingers.

"Relax," smiled Soda. "No one knows us here and I wanna walk down the street hand-in-hand with my boyfriend."

Johnny glanced around nervously, but nobody seemed to notice or care that they were holding hands, so he relaxed, sending Soda a smile and giving his hand a squeeze.

o0o0o

About an hour later they stumbled into a cozy little Italian restaurant, escaping the cold outside. Even Johnny, with his dark hue, had a red nose and cheeks.

"Man, I'm starving!" said Soda. "I forgot to eat lunch."

"I'm not surprised, man," said Steve. "If your head weren't attached to your neck you would probably forget that, too."

They chose a quiet table in a corner and placed their orders. They got their drinks and a few appetizers to share and they were soon chatting and laughing.

"So... you two hooked up," Evie smiled and leaned forward. "How did it happen?"

"You wanna tell, Johnny?" asked Soda, giving him a little nudge with his elbow.

"W-what?" Johnny said nervously. He wasn't sure he could tell it without starting to stutter.

Evie sent him a smile. "You don't have to, but it would be fun to hear," she said. "Me and Steve met at the school. We hooked up at the first party of the year." She grinned. "I guess he couldn't escape my charm."

Steve mumbled something about the length of her dress and she sent him a pointed look, making him agree with her.

"W-we j-just... went for a walk... the day after the p-party," Johnny stuttered.

Sodapop was watching Johnny fondly, playing with a lock of his hair.

"Yeah?" said Evie. "And then what happened?"

"Well... I... he... we..." Johnny said and bit his lower lip.

Steve rested his head on his hand. He didn't really like were this was going. Knowing Soda, anything could have happened.

"We talked a-and... well, k-kissed. That's it."

Evie smiled widely. "That's real nice." She wasn't content with that little information, though. "How did it happen? Who started? Did you know he liked you?"

Johnny sent Sodapop a look of helplessness. He didn't feel like telling too much about their private matters but Soda just seemed to enjoy it.

"I... I dunno.. I c-can't really t-talk about it..."

Steve sighed. "Soda, did you guys go all the way on the first date or what?" Not that he wanted to know but the kid seemed like it was the case and he wanted to get it over with already.

A strangled sound escaped Johnny as he gaped at Steve in horror.

Soda chuckled and gave Johnny's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "No, we just kissed. Nothing dirty," he said.

Johnny looked from Steve to Soda a few times before dropping his gaze. He felt so embarrassed. Luckily, he was saved by the waitress who came up to their table with two plates of food just then. She put them down in front of Steve and Evie and looked over at Sodapop. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"Yes?" said Soda after a few seconds.

The waitress blushed and got a grip of herself. "S-sorry. I forgot what I was about to say. The chef says it'll be another five or ten minutes with your food. I'm sorry."

Sodapop smiled. "That's okay. No problem."

Johnny tilted his head and watched the waitress leaving. She sure was staring at Soda. Johnny supposed he should have gotten used to it by now. He stirred his cola with his straw as he rested his head on his hand. It was strange being on a date. A real one. And no one seemed to be bothered by Soda giving him a kiss once in a while or holding his hand. It wasn't at all how he had thought it would be.

The rest of dinner went well. They were talking and joking about all sorts of things, and Johnny seemed to loosen up and feel more comfortable. Sodapop even got him to laugh out loud a couple of times.

When they got to dessert Johnny had become so relaxed that he was taking active part in the conversation and not just talked when being asked something. He made a cheeky remark about Evie's banana split that made her nearly choke with laughter, and Steve tell Soda to teach his boyfriend some manners.

o0o0o

It was late as the four left the restaurant. The temperature had dropped way below the point of freezing and Steve flipped up his collar.

"God damn, it's cold!" he said and put an arm around Evie.

"You guys wanna head home or should we go for a walk first?" Evie asked and looked at the other three.

Sodapop was actually getting cold but it was so nice just walking around with his friends and close to Johnny, and he sensed Johnny enjoyed it too. He seemed a lot more comfortable with them acting as a couple in public than he had been at the start of the evening. So he said that it was fine by him and he pulled Johnny even closer for warmth.

"Let's go to the river," Evie said. "We can stand on the bridge and watch the river. It's a clear sky so if you look out over the water it will look like the ground and sky are melting together."

Evie was so excited, Steve could tell, so he agreed. He wasn't much for all that romantic stuff but he knew she loved it.

They went to stand on the bridge as Evie had suggested. Soda was hanging on his stomach on the railing, looking down at the frozen river. Johnny had taken a solid grip on his coat.

"A-are you sure that's a good idea?" Johnny asked nervously.

Steve just shook his head. "You gotta get used to it, kid. It's no good having bad nerves if you wanna be with that guy."

"I got an idea..." said Soda, still hanging over the rail. "That ice - I bet it's strong enough to bear."

He got off the rail and darted off the bridge and down the slope toward the river.

Johnny stood frozen for a few seconds watching Soda go. Then he rushed after him, Steve and Evie at his heel.

"Soda! What if it breaks?" Johnny yelled, feeling himself panic.

"I'm not jumping in after you!" Steve shouted.

Soda reached the shore and stopped for a second. The sounds of the others behind him reminded him that maybe he should be a bit careful. He put a foot on the ice and when it didn't break he rushed onto it, stopping and facing them a few yards out.

Johnny stopped dead in his tracks, his heart jumping into his throat as he saw Soda step onto the ice. Was he crazy? What if it broke and he fell through? He had heard about people falling in and getting caught under the ice. And even if that didn't happen, the icy water was likely to make him freeze to death.

"Is it stable?" Steve asked as he stopped at the shore as well, Evie beside him. Neither looked too worried. Apparently they were used to Soda's stunts by now.

Soda jumped a few times. "Yup!"

Steve tentatively stepped onto the ice and up to Sodapop. When still nothing happened, Evie followed. Johnny was still standing on the shore, watching them with big eyes.

"C'mon, Johnnycake! There's nothing to worry about. It's been freezing for over a month! The ice has gotta be thick."

His survival instinct screaming in protest, Johnny hesitantly walked onto the ice. He moved forward but slipped a few times, not falling but ending up in a bowlegged stand. His legs were shaking under him and he was grateful when Sodapop hurried over to steady him.

Wrapping an arm around Johnny, Soda smiled at him and said, "Just relax. I got ya."

"You… you tried this before?" Johnny asked, clinging to Soda, who seemed steady as a rock.

"Just once, last year. We don't exactly have a lot of ice in Oklahoma."

"It sure is thick," Steve said, stomping his foot. "At least ten inches, I think."

"What did I tell ya? Must be embarrassing for a native with some kid from down south come and teach him about ice," grinned Sodapop.

"Hey, I wasn't the least bit worried, man," Steve said with a hint of irritation. "Your boyfriend was shitting himself. He was afraid it would break. I just told you I wouldn't dive in after you."

"I-isn't that kinda the same?" Johnny asked. "If… if you weren't afraid of the ice being too thin then you probably wouldn't have said that."

Steve sent him a look and sighed.

"Yeah," said Soda. "My boyfriend was worried about me while you were just thinking about yourself going in the cold water," teased Soda. "You woulda jumped in after me, wouldn't ya, Johnny?"

"I would... but I would probably drown with you."

"You're so sweet. Come on - let's move!"

He started sliding, fast, with Johnny in tow.

As they got a bit farther out, there was complete darkness. Johnny looked up and saw that all the clouds had drifted off. It explained why it was so damned cold now, but the sky was full of stars.

"Wow... look," Johnny said. "I don't think I've ever seen the sky so clear before."

Sodapop looked up. "Yeah, it's beautiful."

Johnny gently took his face between his hands and looked into Soda's eyes. "I… thank you for a wonderful evening…"

Soda smiled. Then, on an impulse, he slung his arms around Johnny's waist and lifted him up to swing him around, forgetting that they were standing on ice.

For a second Johnny was sure they were going to fall through, but Sodapop had been right: The ice was thick and didn't budge as they landed on it with a loud clunk, Johnny on top of Soda.

"Ouch..." Johnny said but then chuckled at Soda. It was pretty stupid to lift someone and spin around on ice when you weren't a professional skater.

"You okay?" Soda asked.

Johnny nodded and Sodapop pulled his face down for a kiss.

"Interrupting something?" sounded Evie's voice.

They both looked up at Evie who was clinging to Steve.

"N-no, we just fell," Johnny tried to explain.

Evie giggled and Soda grinned, "Yeah, we fell. We ain't exhibitionists like you guys! Johnny, d'ya mind getting off me? It's getting a little cold and hard down here. And not the good kind of hard."

o0o0o

"I can drive," suggested Sodapop when they reached the car.

"No way in hell you're driving my car, Curtis," Steve said and unlocked the car. "And if you keep asking, you get to walk."

"You never let me drive your car," moped Soda, hopping into the back seat with Johnny.

"One day when you learn to relax, which is probably never," Steve laughed and found some blankets in the trunk. He handed one each to Evie and Johnny and threw the last in Soda's face.

"Well, you can't ride my horse, then," Soda retorted, still sounding a bit offended.

He wormed his way under Johnny's blanket and threw his own on top of them.

"We'll get two blankets each this way - and it feels much nicer," he said and cuddled up to Johnny.

"I don't wanna ride a damned horse, anyway," Steve teased and turned on some music as they headed in the direction of Windrix.

"Yeah, I forgot you're a chicken."

Johnny smiled and rested his head against Sodapop who had pulled him halfway onto his lap and started rubbing circles on his thigh.

"I ain't chicken!"

Soda chuckled to himself. Steve and he were always teasing each other like this. They almost never got angry with each other for real. He nuzzled into Johnny's neck and inhaled his scent. Johnny winched for a second, feeling Soda's cold nose.

"Sorry," mumbled Soda without moving away. Instead, he started kissing the other boy's neck.

Johnny giggled quietly and dug his fingers into Soda's soft hair, his eyes falling closed as he relished the feeling of Soda touching and kissing him.

Soda kept moving his hand in circles, gradually creeping further up Johnny's thigh. He moved his mouth to his ear and kissed it lightly, running his tongue along the shell and nipping at the lobe. He felt Johnny shiver and his breath hitch as Soda's warm breath ghosted over his ear.

"What do you wanna do when we get home?" Soda whispered. "Sleep?"

"D-depends," Johnny said with a small gasp. "Do you wanna sleep?" He took a gentle hold of Soda's wrist and moved it away from his crotch.

"Not really, no," whispered Soda and started sucking on the sensitive spot behind Johnny's ear.

"What... what do you wanna do then?" Johnny asked and let go of Soda's wrist, letting his fingers caress the back of his hand.

"I asked you first," said Soda, letting his hand move a little further up, fingers playing lightly on Johnny's thigh.

"I dunno... maybe just lie in bed. Read a book. I dunno what else we could do," Johnny said with a small chuckle. "Since you won't tell me your plans." Johnny ran a hand up Soda's chest and took a hold on his jacket.

"My plans are to do whatever pleases you. But reading... that's a stretch." Sodapop moved his hand the final few inches, coming to rest on the bulk in Johnny's jeans. "Hmm... seems at least one part of you ain't fantasizing about reading."

Johnny bit his lip to keep from making a sound. "S-Soda..." he pleaded. "We can't…"

When Sodapop showed no intentions of moving his hand away, Johnny let his own hand slide under the blanket, down Soda's stomach, and coming to rest on his crotch.

Just gonna give you the same then...

If Johnny thought this was going to discourage Sodapop, he could think again. Soda pushed his hips a bit forward into Johnny's touch.

"Oh, you wanna do it here? I thought you were really shy about being public and all."

Johnny made a small half-choked sound and pulled his head a bit away to look at Soda. He could feel his cheeks burn up as Soda sent him a seductive smile. He should have known that Soda wouldn't care if he got hard right there in the car.

"We... we can't… They'll know," he said in a low voice.

"No, they're busy talking and the music's on. Also, it's pretty dark back here. You just have to be quiet," whispered Soda and moved his fingers around lightly, just enough so that Johnny could feel it. "Can you do that?"

Soda didn't really think Johnny wanted to go through with this, and he didn't want to pressure him into it. But so far he had shown no true signs of wanting him to stop, and until he did, it was fun. Soda had to admit, though, that the thought of bringing each other off here in the car, right behind their oblivious friends, was so arousing that it was nearly enough to make him come right then and there.

Johnny leaned against Sodapop, pressing his face against his shoulder. He let out a small gasp as Soda's fingers moved over his groin and he automatically parted his legs a bit. Soda had a way of making him lose all sense of reason and right now he just wanted Soda to touch him.

Soda started rubbing Johnny more firmly and had to stifle a groan in his throat as he felt the hand on his own crotch move as well.

"Tell me to stop," he whispered, wishing Johnny wouldn't.

Johnny just moved his head and caught Soda's mouth in a kiss as he started to rub him a little harder. He had given up trying to restrain himself. The only thing he could do now was try to keep quiet so they wouldn't get caught.

"Oh, God," murmured Soda into Johnny's mouth, thinking this was just about the hottest thing he had ever done.

Johnny let out a small gasp, barely able to keep it down.

What is it you do to me? I can't control myself!

He tightened his grip on Soda's jacked and pulled himself closer to him as he started to shake. He was so close.

"G-God, S-Soda..." he gasped.

Hearing Johnny say his name like that did it for Soda and he made a half-strangled sound as his orgasm pulsed through him. He moved his hand even faster and kept his mouth plastered to Johnny's in order to muffle both of their moans. Johnny came just seconds later.

After what seemed like minutes, they broke the kiss and Johnny lay his head back onto Sodapop's shoulder. He closed his eyes, suddenly feeling very tired. He couldn't believe what they had just done and he prayed that neither Steve nor Evie had heard them.

Soda lazily tangled his fingers in Johnny's dark locks and enjoyed the pleasant buzz in his body. He caught Steve's eye in the rear-view mirror and got a feeling that he had realized what had been going on. He really hoped that he wouldn't say anything about it in front of Johnny. He would die of embarrassment.

"You two love birds are home," informed Steve as he swung into the parking lot in front of the Cutis apartment. As both boys got out, Steve waved Soda over to his window and Steve rolled down and spoke in a low voice.

"If you made stains on my car seat, you're cleaning it," he said and drove off.

"Guess we need a shower, huh?" grinned Sodapop as he walked up to Johnny.

o0o0o

Darry was sitting in an armchair, watching TV at a low volume - probably to not risk waking Ponyboy. Sodapop was a little surprised. It was two O'clock and Darry usually didn't go to bed later than twelve. But then again, he was overly protective of him and Pony...

"Man, you didn't wait up for us, did ya?"

Darry looked up, sending Soda a look of irritation.

"Do you have any idea what tine it is? I believe I told you to be home at midnight and you walk in at two in the morning like it's no big deal!"

"Darry - I'm seventeen. Mom and Dad gave me more freedom when I was fifteen than you do now."

Darry stood up. "Well, I ain't Mom and Dad!"

Darry looked rather angry and Johnny backed up a bit.

Soda turned to Johnny and said in a soft voice, "Johnny, just go take your shower, ok?"

Johnny nodded and hurried past Darry, not looking at him.

"Where were you? You should've called home that you were gonna be late. I told you this the last time as well." Darry sat down and looked at the couch, indicating that Soda should take a seat as well. "Are you sure it's such a good idea all of this?"

"I'm sorry," said Sodapop.

He suddenly felt really bad. Darry was right - he hadn't been thinking, hadn't remembered to call when he was late and so on.

"I should have called. I forgot my phone. That's why you couldn't reach me. I should've just called from Steve's, but I didn't think of it. I'll try to shape up. I guess I've been a little scatterbrained. You know, you get like that when you're in love."

Darry sighed and leaned back. "Yeah, I guess... But try and remember, will ya?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm just glad Pony ain't dating yet. Man if I had to run around after two scatterbrains I'd go crazy..."

Soda grinned. "Well, it'll come sometime soon. But he probably won't be as bad as me. You'll probably still be harder on him, though. You always are."

"I am not! And he will have to wait," Darry said, rather irritably. "I just can't handle any more pressure at the moment."

"Any more pressure? Me and Johnny dating, that's too much pressure?"

Darry sighed again. "No, it ain't like that. I'm just stressed. And you running around and not letting me know where you are doesn't help, little buddy."

"But why are you so stressed?" Sodapop asked. He could feel that something was off. Darry seemed more troubled than usual.

Darry left for the kitchen and came back with a beer. He took a gulp from the bottle and sighed. "It's Lauren..."

"What?" said Sodapop, worried now. "Did something happen? Did you guys break up?"

Soda really hoped that wasn't the case. Darry had been so happy since they had gotten together, and if anyone deserved a little happiness, it was Darry.

Darry took another large gulp before he sent Soda a quick look.

"She... might be pregnant."

"She... what? Did - did she go to the doctor?"

"The damn doctor is closed until Monday," Darry said and leaned forward, burying his face in his hands. "God, Soda… I'm really confused here..."

But, Darry - it's awesome!" grinned Sodapop, suddenly realizing what Darry had told him. "A kid! You do wanna have kids, right?"

Darry looked at him in surprise. "Y-yes of course! But we have only been together for a few months… And what about money? Children are expensive."

"We'll figure it out. I'll be out of school in a year and a half and I can get a job. Maybe I can get some more stable work now as well or something in town. When I don't have classes, that is," he added, sure that Darry would have a fit just at the thought of Soda skipping classes.

"And what about your own life, Soda?" Darry asked looking at his brother. "Don't you have plans as well?"

"I wanna be with Johnny and help put Pony through college. And I wanna work with horses if I can make enough money on it. And I want you to have your own family and be happy. You deserve that with all you're doing for me and Pony."

Darry gave him a soft smile. "Seems you got it all figured out, huh?"

"We'll figure it out, Darry. Don't worry so much," said Soda and gave his big brother a pat on the back. "And now I really need a shower..."

"How come you need a shower so late?" Darry asked and looked up at Sodapop.

Soda grinned. "You don't wanna know, trust me. Your ears will go all red."

Darry just waved him off. "Go, for god sake, go, you horny teenager."

"I ain't the one who just got my girlfriend pregnant," Soda sniggered as he made his way to the bathroom.

"Touché..."

Johnny had just gotten out of the shower and wrapped a towel around himself when Sodapop came in.

"Was... was he really mad?"

"No, just worried. It's my fault, I should've called. I wasn't thinking. I'm getting worse than Pony!" Soda grinned. "Hey - you weren't done in there, were you?" He pulled off Johnny's towel before he could react and steered him back toward the shower by the shoulders. "You don't look clean enough at all."

"Had I scrubbed myself for hours I still wouldn't have been clean enough for you not to drag me back in," Johnny grinned.

"Yeah, well, we'll never figure that out, will we?" said Soda and pinched Johnny's buttock on his way into the shower.

A/N: Remember to check out the illustration for the chapter (link on my profile).