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I smile lazily up at Soda as he leans on his side propped up by his arm. "Hey, baby, Pony's not awake yet. Should we tell him today," he asks and my smile fades as I beg "Not now, give me time. Please Soda, I need some more time." I snuggle against his chest knowing that the best way to get what I want with him is by playing cute and cuddly but he only groans before saying coldly "Whatever." I pout as I wrap my arms around his neck causing him to grin and I lovingly say "That's my Soda, the man I love. Are you going to tell him about Sandy?" He begins to frown but quickly I kiss his cheek saying "He ain't gonna understand about us unless you tell him." Soda smiles and changes the subject "Tell me again how we became lovers." I sigh as I sit up and say "While we make breakfast."

Soda pours blue food coloring into the pancake mix as I am trying to stir the batter. "You said you'd tell me," he says before throwing a handful of the powdery mix at me. "Well, it was a school day and around lunch time when we decided to visit you. When we arrived there you looked sad and even Steve couldn't get you to talk so I followed you into one of those dingy bathrooms. You sat on the sink counter and told me that Sandy was pregnant with some stranger's kid, the only thing she knew was she had been drunk that night and messed up." I pour a spoonful of batter into the pan as he continues "You were trying to think of comforting words but you ended up telling me about the feelings you've been harboring for Ponyboy. I took advantaage of the situation and kissed you." I shrug as I watch the mix bubble then I flip the pancakes over.

Soda smiles down at me and says "I needed you andyou nedded me." I lean into his chest breathing in his delicious scent, a mixture of warm spicies and the outdoors. "I responded to your kiss, so I'm just as much to blame as you are. Anyways I was the one that snuck into your room that night after my father had hit me." He runs his fingers over the cut on my cheek and says softly "You needed to be comforted and I took advantage of the fact that you were scared and lonely." The guilt is there but he has no reason to feel guilty. "Soda,please stop talking like that. You kissed me first, yes, but I began to take your clothes off," I say playing with a strand of his gorgeous golden hair.

"Don't burn the house down," he jokes and I turn around just to stare at the blackened pancakes. "Damn it, I was hungry," I mummer wincing slightly as I try to open the drawer above the stove for asprin. Soda gently pushes me to a chair and turning off the stove hands me two pills. "I made some cake a earlier yesterday." I look at him curiously wondering where he had the time to make a cake but say "Why not, it's not like I really wanted pancakes anyways," I say softly as he places a plate before me with a cup of chocolate milk. "I shouldn't push you into telling him about us," Soda says wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

:Pony's POV:

I scream as I awaken to an empty room. Wet sheets cling to my sweaty body as I sit up panting. "Johnny," I mummer weakly at the tears his name brings to my eyes, but Johnny's not dead, right? I race down the stairs and out of the house as whim0pers escape my throat. Please be a lie, don't let my Johnny be a murderer, don't let Johnnycake be dead. "Please be okay," I whisper passing a blue mustang on my way to the spot that haunts my dreams. "Ponyboy," I hear Soda call as I fall to my knees next to the fountain. "There's no blood, Johnny's okay," I say looking up at him and he says "He's always been okay. He should be here soon, he left right after me." I look down the street in alarm as I shakily rse to my feet and say "The Socs were out, what if they got ahold of him."

Soda's face turns grim as he begins to walk back towards our house not straying from the path we took on our way to that park. "If they hurt Johnny again I swear I'll kill them," he states firmly and I understand his anger and fear. I keep up with his long strides as he searches every turn off for signs of him and ask "He'll scream for help, right?" Soda shakes his head saying " All he knows how to do is accept the pain without letting out even the smallest whimper."

:Johnny's POV:

I shut my eyes tightly as they kick me, mainly aiming for the spot in my stomach where the bullet had entered, and I'm barely aware of the fact that one guy was removing his belt. It's one of those that has the big, metal clasps on it and a leather strap. Those belts hurt like hell, they hurt worse then the cigarettes that my old man put out on my thighs or his thin belt that he would hit me with when he felt like it. The one with the rings is laughing as the other hits me with his belt. Their breath reeks of alcohol. Blood is ozing from the cuts the metal clasps makes each time it hits me. So much pain. Everything's a red haze and it would be pretty if the belt wasn't hitting me so hard, each strike is more skillful. He stops whipping me but the one with the rings keeps hitting me. I can't reach my blade and the pain is so vivid now. Sweet silence, and that hazy red color is comming back. Are they leaving? I can't tell. Is someone calling my name? Where have I heard that voice before, it's like golden sunshine. Yes, keep talking. Who's the person with the beautiful, sunset sounding voice? I can almost see the golden hazy color fading to pinks, purples, and a nearly black color as the voice calls my name. The voices radiate love, protectiveness, and sweetness. The first voice is speaking again and now I see a golden palace with sunlight pouring ontop of it.

I shiver as someone picks me up and somehow I know that it's the golden one carrying me as the sunselt like one says thing that I can't understand. I don't understand why he keeps talking. I like being held, I know this feeling. I know my golden sunshine as well as I know myself. I can tell that he isn't wearing a shirt and the touch of his chest is driving me insane, the toned texture that I know how to touch like a pro. I trust them both, love them both, but Sunset can't know that I love Sunshine because he'll be devestated. People are yelling now as I lay on a plush, soft surface, and someone's cleansing my back with a warmly wet washcloth and the fingers playing with my hair is making up for all the kisses he can't give me.

I smile and open my eyes as he strokes my back. Nice and even, soft and loving. Sunshine's beautiful and caring. I stare at the two figures that are arguing in confusion as Sunshine says "Do you want a bath?" I weakly respond "Yes, am I in heaven?" There, the yelling's stopped. I'm aware of my golden angel carring me into the bathroom and the sound of running water nearly lulls me back to sleep, but his sweet kisses keep me awake. "I'm here,baby. You aren't in heaven, you're here with me." Of course I'm here, but where exactly is here? "Soda, can I come in?" No, don't let the multicolored voice in. Please, I just want to be alone with my angel. I love him, too, but right now I want my Sunshine. "Yeah," the one the sunset sounding one said was Soda says.

Soda holds me tightly as Sunset pulls off my pants and socks and I sorta wonder if my socks are even clean. Soda's lowering me itno the warm water and I want him to join me. "Ponyboy, is Darry still mad?" I smile thinking that I like their unique names. "Nah, just worried." Every sound seems amplified and I wonder why I know that the one with the heavy step is Twobit, the one with the waltz is Steve, and the slinking,panther like one is Dally. When did they get here?

I"m laughing as I remember the two hour long speech about Buck's, girls, and alcohol I recieved from Darry when I first moved in. I never liked Buck's, I guess that liking Soda and Ponyboy proves that I don't like girls, and I've seen what drinking caqn do to someone. "Sunsets are sure pretty, tell Dally to go watch one," I say softly reaching for Pony's hand silently telling him to go tell Dally. Dally's gonna kill him, gee, I sure can be stupid. Pony leaves quickly and imediatly I'm pulling Soda down for a deep, passionate kiss. "Dally wants to kill those Socs and Steve ain't to far behind him in his plan." I shake my head muttering "No, Soda, no fights."

His browns fill with confusion as he helps me to sit up and I brush some stray hairs back marvelling at the softness, his golden tresses feel like silk. I smile as I wrap my arms around his neck repeating "No fights, Soda. It ain't gonna do much good if you fight with them." He trys to argue with me and eventhough his eyes are alight with anger and there's a possisevness to them that I hadn't seen before I still insist that he shouldn't fight. He lifts me onto his lap wrapping a towel around me and says "Please, honey, let me do this for you." I glare up at him and snap "Fine, go fight your dumb battle." He kisses my cheeks and lips as his eyes burn with the familar fire of love and passion. "I wont fight if it makes you that angry," he says brushing my hair back. I can picture Dally sitting on a hill with Ponyboy watching the merging of beautiful colors as the sun dips below the earth.

:Pony's POV:

I suck in a deep breath as Dally glares at me and swears using every cuss word I've ever heard plus a few that I think he made up. "Johnny's was the one that suggested it," and he grins saying "Whatever. I nearly pounded you for an idea that wasn't yours." My eyes light up and I eagerly ask "Wanna go camping with us and see the sunset in the country? Soda can come with." He shrugs saying "Why not, I can bring some fun with." I hug him quickly not sure exactly why I did so but when he pats my back saying " Go tell Superman," I grin with happiness.

Darry looks at me sceptical once I tell him my plan and says "Soda is to make sure that Dallas doesn't let you two have to much of his brand of fun." I hug him nearly causing the bills he's working on to slip off his bed. "Don't be gone too long, it'll get awfully boring here without you guys." Soda's holding a sleeping Johnny in his arms when I tell him my idea and he laughs as he glances at Dally. "Go get the bags and lantern, Dally go get a car, and I'll pack our clothes," Soda orders trying to sound like Darry but faily miserably.

:Johnny's POV:

I study Soda as he throwas clothes into a dufflebag and ask "Are you leaving?" He shakes his head saying "Dally's goin' camping with Pony,me, and you." I sigh saying "I ain't gonna be much fun." He shrugs saying "I can borrow a horse from some farmer and take you on a tour or we can stay back at the camp sight while Pony shows Dally around telling him all about the bunnies and the clouds." I laugh picturing Dallas actually listening to Pony talk about nature. Yes, this trip will be good for all of us.