…………………………….Ponyboy's P.O.V.

I stared at Steve's fist as it was about to crash into my face. It wasn't like we didn't fight. Steve and Soda fought a lot, and Two bit's swung at me a few times. Dally's punched every one of us 'cept for Johnny.

But to be woken out of a sound sleep to see Steve Randle glaring at me, my shirt all bunched up in one fist, the other cocked back, Johnny swearing at him in his voice he usually reserved for socs, it was just...disorienting.

I tried to shake free but Steve was pretty strong.

"Steve," Dally's calm voice from the doorway. Steve glanced over at him then turned back to me and punched me. I saw stars. Shit that hurt. Blood poured from my nose and I could smell it, that sharp kind of copper/iron smell.

I fell to the bed, trying to stop the flow of blood with my hands, not having much luck. Now I had a fucking headache.

"Steve, let's go," Dally said, grabbing Steve's arm and dragging him from the room.

"You okay?" Johnny said softly, trying to pull my hands away from my nose.

"He broke it, the fuckhead," I said, my voice kind of muffled with blood.

"I'll go get ice," Johnny jumped up and I thought he should be a nurse or doctor or somethin'. He knew what to do for every injury.

He came back with a bag of ice and a towel. He cleaned up the blood, placed the ice pack gently on my nose, "so it won't swell," he said. He took my hand and put it on the ice pack so I'd hold it. Then he wrapped his arms around me and rocked, and despite the pain, I felt better.

…………………………….Steve's P.O.V.

I glared at Dally. We were sitting at the table and I wanted to leave. But you don't just up and leave on Dallas Winston. So I lit a cigarette instead.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he said, the steel edge in his voice. If I could get out of this without getting my head busted open I'd consider myself lucky.

"Nothin'" I mumbled, looking down.

"Nothin'? You call walking in here and punching Ponyboy nothin'?"

I didn't say nothin'. Fucking Dallas.

"Steve!"

"Alright," I looked at him, "I was mad and I, I guess I just took it out on Ponyboy,"

"What the hell's Ponyboy got to do with Diane?"

Diane? The puzzled look on my face was the same as Dally's. Diane? Oh, the girl from the party. He thought she was why I was mad. I looked at him, his narrowed light blue eyes, clenched fists perhaps seconds away from pounding on me. He had no idea what Ponyboy and Johnny were doing.

………………………….Johnny's P.O.V.

I heard Dal talkin' to Steve out there. That was okay. I didn't care if he told Dal about us, either. I don't know why. I just didn't give a shit.

I heard them leave and that was okay, too. I looked at Ponyboy. If his nose was broken he'd have two black eyes tomorrow. I knew. My nose had been broken enough. Fucking old man. I haven't been home for days and neither of them gave a shit.

Pony was fallin' asleep. It was easy to fall asleep after getting hurt. Something to do with adrenaline and endorphins, I don't know. Saw that on T.V. once and remembered it cause I slept so well after the old man beat me. Slept like I was on drugs or something.

His breathing was rough because of his nose. More blood kept trickling out. Poor Pony. I kissed his cheek. He didn't wake up.