Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders or 'Under My Skin' by Gin Wigmore.

Tuesday, April 19th, 1966

"Listen, kid," Danny began as he drove Anna to school on Tuesday morning, "You sure you're okay with me datin' Kathy?"

Anna gave him an amused frown. "You never cared if I was okay with who you dated before."

"Yeah, well, I ain't ever dated your best friend before," he said.

"That's true."

"So? Is it all right or are you just waitin' for the perfect moment to start on me about it?" he asked with a smirk.

Anna pursed her lips. She supposed she should feel a little weird about Danny and Kathy dating, especially after telling Steve she felt weird about him dating Evie, but she didn't. She just wanted both her brother and Kathy to be happy and if that meant being with each other for however long they lasted, then so be it.

Plus she was sick of thinking about other peoples love lives when her own was so bad.

"It's fine," she said. "So long as you don't go messin' around on each other."

Danny had the nerve to look offended. "As if I would go messin' around on someone, 'specially someone as sweet as Kathy."

Anna laughed. "Cut the crap," she said. "You're just as bad at goin' back to Ruth as Kathy is when it comes to Two-Bit."

"Maybe," he said. "But me and Kathy both know we ain't nothin' serious."

Anna figured she was probably imagining things, but she was sure she could hear a silent 'for now' come after that, and wondered just how much her brother really liked Kathy.

"Speaking of dating," he said, before she could ponder it too much, "I heard you weren't exactly out alone last night, Miss B."

Anna sighed. She hadn't bothered telling Danny about her "date" with Soda. It still felt strange to think of it as a date, but she supposed that, as Soda had said, that's what it was, even if they both knew it wasn't real.

"No, I wasn't out alone last night," she said, refusing to give any information up that easily.

"Who were ya with?"

"You already know damn well who I was with." Anna rolled her eyes at her brother's attempt at ignorance.

"I do, but Soda Curtis?" Danny glanced at her as he sped up to make a green light. "Really, Anna, I thought ya had better taste than that?"

"What's wrong with Soda?"

"Well, nothin's wrong with him," Danny said. "He just don't really seem your type."

Anna smirked. "Have you seen Sodapop?" she asked. "I'm not sure he's not anyone's type."

"Exactly," Danny said. "Sure, he's a good guy and all, and I know he can come through in a fight, but he's so …"

"Gorgeous?" Anna offered with a grin.

Danny looked disgusted. "For lack of a better word."

"And gorgeous isn't my type?" She had no idea where Danny was going with this conversation.

"I dunno, maybe it is. I just figured your type was less -" he seemed to have to force the word out "- gorgeous - and more … tough."

Tough. Anna immediately pictured someone with dark curly hair, a busted open hand, and oil stains on his face.

"Soda's tough," she mumbled.

"Hey." Danny pulled into the school parking lot and stopped the car. "You don't gotta convince me; I've seen the guy fight, I know he's tough. But, I still didn't see him as your type."

"Because he's good looking?" Anna was confused as hell. The last time they had talked about Anna and boys Danny had been warning her off anyone like Bobby Miller and here she was "dating" the complete opposite and Danny was telling her he wasn't her type?

"And happy," Danny said.

"Ah yes, because my perfect man is a down in the dumps, balding ogre."

"Funny," he said, and turned to her. "I just mean that you're so different. He's always pretty damn friendly and cheerful, while you're more sarcastic and don't deny you sometimes pretend to be annoyingly happy just to piss people off."

Anna felt a pang; her fake cheerfulness had once been her best tool at pissing off Steve when they had hated each other and she, once again, found herself wishing things were as easy now as they were then.

"I just see ya doin' better with someone more like you." He paused. "To be honest, I woulda seen you fallin' for Randle before Curtis."

"Steve?" she practically squeaked his name as her stomach flipped.

"Yeah. You two managed to get over all that bullshit fighting," he said. "Seemed like you even got a little close."

"Me and Steve ain't close."

"Coulda fooled me."

"What would you know?" Anna snapped.

"I know you went to him after dad hit ya."

"So?" She crossed her arms over her chest and knew she looked like a sulking child.

"So you must've trusted him some to do that. You coulda walked the twenty minutes more to Kathy's or even the thirty seconds more to -" again he had to force the word out "Two-Bit Mathews, who you've always been friends with and who would've looked after ya just like Randle did."

Anna didn't bother mentioning that Two-Bit had been out drinking that night; she didn't want to admit just how much of it she had put to memory.

"Anyway," Danny turned back in his seat, "it ain't up to me who ya date; I'm just sayin' is all."

Anna huffed. "Whatever," she said and climbed out the car, slamming the door behind her.

XXXXX

Steve glanced up as Anna made her way into their math classroom before looking away again and scowling. This warmer weather was killing him. Though it wasn't so much the warm weather as it was the way the warm weather was making Anna seem more and more appetizing.

For instance, he had just recently realised that the way she had occasionally worn her hair up during math classes had become a more common occurrence over the last week or so. Turned out it not only gave him an unbelievable view of her smooth neck and throat, but also managed to send out the fragrance of the summery scented perfume she had taken to wearing. Plus, she was no longer wearing a sweater over her blouse, and Steve couldn't help the way his eyes automatically focused on the curves of her chest before sailing down to the shorter skirt that had replaced the slightly longer ones she wore in winter.

Steve swallowed audibly as she sat down, remembering the short skirt and the way she had readjusted herself in her seat yesterday - effectively showing him the lace edge of her stockings - and he found himself having to readjust himself just thinking about it.

"Morning," she said.

He grunted in reply and she gave him a look. Thankfully, Mr. Chase began roll call before she could say anymore.

So he was attracted to her … big fucking deal. There were plenty of girls he found good looking; his own girlfriend for one. He pushed back the fact that he still found the idea of touching Anna more of a turn on than touching his own girlfriend, and completely ignored the fact that he would rather do anything with Anna - sexual or not - more than he would with his own girlfriend.

Evie was great and he still really liked her, but he was finding himself less interested in doing anything with her every day. But he didn't think that had anything to do with Anna; it was just him and Evie and their not so great relationship.

Mr. Chase finished his roll call and Steve began on the worksheet they had been given yesterday, turning himself slightly away from Anna. He didn't want to talk to her, he didn't want to look at her, he didn't want to smell her.

He couldn't help himself.

"How was your date?" he said, turning back to face her.

He hadn't managed to ask Sodapop about it that morning with everyone else hanging around, but planned to when he popped into the DX at lunch. But, he wouldn't mind getting some kind of reaction from Anna first.

"It was good," she said, glancing at him. "We just went to the Dingo and hung out for a while."

Steve nodded. "So ya had a good time?"

"Yes."

The conversation seemed to end there so Steve went back to his worksheet feeling annoyed. He wanted to know what had happened, yet at the same time, the thought of knowing too much made him feel a little ill.

It wasn't like he was jealous. He thought Anna was sexy, that was it. He supposed the idea of his best friend and another friend doing anything physical kind of grossed him out and wondered if that was how Anna had felt when he and Evie had gotten back together.

A constant tapping brought him back to what was going on around him as Anna tapped her pencil on the table and bit her lower lip. Steve glared. The tapping was pissing him off to no end, but all he wanted to do was take the lip she was nibbling on and do it for her.

"Fuck," he swore softly.

She looked at him. "What?"

He hardened his glare. "You and your goddamn tapping, that's what."

"Sorry," she muttered, "I didn't realise you were in such a bad mood today."

Well you should, Steve thought silently, it's your fault. He decided then and there that it really was her fault. The way she had reacted while dancing with him had made it her fault. He wouldn't be having all these thoughts about her if she hadn't responded to his touch the way she had.

"I'm in a bad mood? You're the one who doesn't wanna talk to me."

She blushed and he took an evil kind of pleasure in it. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

"Bullshit. I tried to make conversation and ya shut me off almost right away," he paused, remembering. "Same thing happened yesterday, too."

And when it had happened yesterday it had made him even more positive that she had liked Soda all along. The way he had seen it, she had Sodapop now so she didn't need Steve anymore.

Anna was gaping at him and Steve raised an eyebrow.

"What's your problem?" she asked. "We're supposed to be friends; why are you tryin' to start a fight with me?"

Steve didn't have an answer for that one. He had decided that everything was her fault and could admit that it pissed him off that she didn't want to talk to him now that she had Soda, but he knew he was being an idiot. His attraction to her was just as much his doing as it was hers. It wasn't as if she had control over the dirty thoughts he had been having about her.

"Yeah," he muttered, not willing to actually apologise. "Guess I'm just in a bad mood."

Her face softened a little. "Is everything alright?"

He wanted to kiss her. The concerned frown on her face, the worry in her eyes and the kindness in her voice did nothing but make him want to kiss her and make him want to punch his own head in at the completely gushy and pathetic thought.

He briefly wondered if his want - his need - for her would leave once he kissed her. All he wanted was one taste and, if he could just get his fill, then maybe he would get over it and stop wanting her.

He lowered his eyes back to her lower lip that was slightly swollen due to the way she had been worrying it between her teeth. He licked his lips and swallowed; his breath deepening as he considered just leaning forward and capturing her lip between his. He glanced up, noticing her flushed face, and for once found himself unable to read her expression.

"Steve?" Her voice came out as an uncertain, breathy whisper and he almost groaned.

He shook his head and turned away. "Yeah. Everything's fine."

"You sure?" she asked.

He nodded. Of course, nothing was fine, but he just had to deal with that.

XXXXX

Later that day, Anna was sitting at Grandpa Joe's kitchen table when a horn outside blared. She picked up her books and got to her feet.

"Who's picking ya up?" Grandpa Joe asked, getting up to walk her to the door.

"Just a friend," she said.

"Oh yeah?" Grandpa Joe raised an eyebrow as he opened the front door for her, and glanced out at the pick-up parked by the driveway. "What's his name?"

She grinned. "Sodapop Curtis."

"Sodapop?" Grandpa Joe frowned. "What the hell kinda name is that?"

Anna laughed. "There ain't anything wrong with his name."

"I guess." Grandpa Joe shrugged before a puzzled look came over his face. "He your boyfriend?"

"No. Well, he's a boy, but not my boyfriend," she said.

"Still stuck on Steve, huh?"

Anna swallowed and nodded. She had done her best to keep all conversation with her grandpa firmly away from Steve Randle simply because she was sick of thinking about him and wanted to distract herself by thinking and talking about other things.

Grandpa Joe grunted and put his arm around Anna's shoulders, squeezing her briefly. "He'll come around."

Anna felt a lump in her throat as she quickly hugged her grandpa back and headed for the pick-up Soda was driving. It wasn't the thought of Steve that had her closer to tears than she had been in a long time, or even Grandpa Joe's kind words; it had been the short but sweet half hug he had given her.

He had never been one to give out physical affection, even with his grandkids. Anna had always had to initiate all hugs and cheek kisses which had always appeared to be grudgingly accepted, but she was sure were always secretly wanted.

Having her Grandpa hug her like that had pretty much made up for the shitty last few days.

"Hey," she said happily as she climbed into the truck. "Thanks for pickin' me up."

"No problem," Soda replied.

"You sure?"

Soda grinned. "Yep. I wasn't about to make you bus here and back when I was perfectly able to give ya a ride."

She had mentioned visiting her grandpa when she and Soda were out last night and when she and Kathy had stopped in at the DX while skipping fourth period typing class, Soda had offered to pick her up that evening to save her from bussing at night. Anna had said thanks but no thanks at first, but Sodapop had seemed insistent and she had eventually given in. Soda was fun and talkative and had an uncanny ability to keep her mind mostly off of Steve so she had figured why not?

Only, even with his happy chatter, she was having a hard time thinking about anything other than Steve. She had survived two days of math and not really speaking to him due to working on their assignments, but now she was on her way to tutoring with him and she would have to speak to him.

She was still confused as to what was going on. In hindsight, it seemed as though nothing had changed between them. Sure, she was hanging out with Soda now, but Steve was still with Evie; he had shown no hint of possibly feeling something for her since their dance. They were still just friends.

But, in reality, something definitely had changed and she didn't know what it was. Things had changed for her a while ago, but now things had changed between them and it was obvious. She didn't know if it was because she was, in a way, "dating" Sodapop, or if Steve had figured out from her blatant obviousness during their dance that she did in fact like him, or if it was something else completely.

Whatever it was, it was making things really uncomfortable between them.

"You okay?" Soda asked and Anna focused her mind back on her surroundings, noticing they were already in their neighbourhood and would be at Steve's any moment.

"Absolutely," she said, forcing a grin.

Soda pulled up outside Steve's place and Anna looked at it to find Steve, as usual, sitting outside waiting for her. The look on his face as he saw them was one she didn't understand, but she certainly recognised it from years of doing whatever she could to make him angry.

"Have fun," Soda said with a grin as she grabbed her books and climbed out of the pick-up.

Anna rolled her eyes at Soda's attempt at humour, and walked up the path to meet Steve. She could hear Soda speeding off down the street and wished for a moment that he could have stayed for a while. She didn't want to be alone with Steve and the awkwardness that had been between them lately, yet at the same time she wanted nothing more than to be alone with Steve.

"Such an idiot," she muttered to herself before reaching Steve and saying, "Hey."

"How's it goin'?"

Anna bit her lip. Steve's eyes were hard and cold as he watched her and she suddenly felt like it was two months ago and he still hated her. She narrowed her eyes, forcing any hurt to the back of her mind; she may be completely besotted by him and she may have, just that very morning, thought Steve being a jerk and treating her like shit again might make things easier for her, but now that he seemed to be doing it, she didn't want him to. It felt horrible and she refused to let him.

"It's going good," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and not missing the way his eyes flicked away from hers and toward her chest for a split second. She smirked, he might not like her the way she wanted him to, but he obviously still realised she was a girl.

"I didn't realise Soda was plannin' on driving all the way to your place to pick ya up just to bring you here," he said sarcastically.

"He didn't. I was at my Grandpa's; he picked me up from there."

"Well, that's even better," he muttered as he stood from the porch steps.

Anna raised an eyebrow, hating that the exact weird unpleasantness she had just been thinking about was already showing its ugly face.

"What's that s'posed to mean?"

Steve glared at her. "Soda had to leave school after his parents died so he could help out with the bills," he said.

"I know that."

"Right. But you still made him drive twenty minutes to pick you up just so you didn't have to bus? That's pretty fucking selfish, Anna."

Anna could feel her face getting hot but for once didn't care. "What the hell is your problem?" she asked. "I never asked Soda to come pick me up. In fact, I told him not to but he insisted."

Steve shook his head and sneered at her. "Whatever."

Anna didn't know what else to say; not only had she not really done anything wrong, but Steve had managed to make her feel bad anyway. Sure, she probably should have thought about Soda and the gas he would be using to pick her up, but she still didn't deserve this hostility from Steve.

"I'm gonna go," she said as he turned to go up the steps.

"What?" he half turned back towards her.

"I'm gonna go home." She gave a half shrug, her chest hurting. "I didn't come here to have you go off on me for nothin', or to have you pick another fight with me."

Steve said nothing, just stared at her through his narrowed eyes.

"We're supposed to be friends," she reminded him again, before turning away.

She didn't get it, not at all. She had spent the last few weeks wanting to be with Steve yet being kind of distant at the same time - wondering if he were to become a jerk again if things would get easier. Now he was being a jerk, and she was sick of trying to distance herself from him. She just wanted to be with him, despite his mood.

"Wait."

She hadn't even heard him following her down the path until she heard his voice and he grabbed her arm.

"Just … wait," he said as she turned to face him.

"For what?"

He gave her a look and she was sure her heart skipped a beat as he stared down at her. She unconsciously licked her lips as her pulse sped up and Steve's warm hand slid down her arm to loosely wrap around her wrist, burning her skin in the most delicious way. She could feel her face heating up again, but with the way he way looking at her, she just didn't care.

Finally he shook his head and frowned. "I don't know … I guess I'm just having a bad day."

She sighed. "And taking it out on me?"

"I guess," he said, shrugging. "Look, just don't go, okay? Come inside and we'll start on some homework and I swear I won't start another fight."

The hard look was gone from his eyes and he was staring at her so intently that Anna had to look away, unsure of what to do. She wanted to stay - to be there with him even though she wasn't with him - but she hated being around him if he was going to be a jerk and take his bad mood out on her.

It wasn't until she glanced at her arm and realised the warmth on her wrist was because he still hadn't let her go that she made her decision. She looked at it and sighed as Steve seemed to feel her gaze and drop it. There was a moment's awkwardness, but there really was no decision to be made when he was touching any part of her, even in the most nonsexual way possible.

Taking a breath, she nodded. "Let's go."

A/N: Thanks to RileysMomma for beta-reading. Please review.