p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Pony? You awake?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Hmm?" Ponyboy feels bleary, tired as he turns around on his bed. He's half asleep; it's got to be past nine for Soda to be here so late, the sun long gone, and the house quiet. He yawns, sitting up as Soda shuts the door./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"It's been hours since the shower — one that still made his ears burn a little. He'd woken up at some point in the day, had cleaned up a bit, went back to sketching, and trying to sort out his feelings. After all that, he'd crawled into bed for what was supposed to have been a second nap./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Fumbling, he turns on the lamp as Soda changes into another shirt. "Time is it?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""A little after nine," Soda's head pops through the shirt, squinting at Ponyboy. "How long you been asleep? You even eat dinner?" When Ponyboy shakes his head, Soda motions to him. "C'mon, let's get you something to eat. Darry ain't gonna be back til late."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Ponyboy yawns, pushes away the covers and follows Soda out to the kitchen. In no time, Soda has blue pancakes with chocolate chips on the pan. When they're all done, Ponyboy grins at him as he bites into it, Soda grinning back. Soda drags his pancake through the syrup, asking, "So, how d'you feel after all that?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""The initiation?" Ponyboy chews his pancake thoughtfully, not sure of what to talk about. Fully hesitant at even telling Soda what had went on; it feels quiet, too personal to tell Soda about the kiss, that he had curled up with Dallas in a way that felt very different from the way he and Johnny had curled up in the church together. "Hand hurts a little. I didn't think we'd have so many people out like that, all those packs."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""They had a lot when I got in too," reaching for the chocolate syrup, Soda puts a bit on his plate, mixing it with the regular syrup. Even that is a bit too sugary for Ponyboy though. "Probably cause there ain't so many omegas around here. Everyone was trying to get something."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"There's an urge to ask about Sandy. About what she had done, and Ponyboy decides to keep it to himself as he nods. "I didn't think I'd have so many beers at one time." He pulls a face./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""You puke it or piss it out?" Soda asks and Ponyboy laughs with him. "I puked mine out, all over Steve's shoes. You should've seen his face!" He imitates the sound and Ponyboy finds himself both grossed out and laughing with Soda as they eat./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""The whiskey tasted better," Ponyboy says, shrugging. "I pissed it out, this morning. Drank a bunch of water before I got home." He chews his pancake, and then bites at his lip. "You think anyone'll be upset about all the cops out last night?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""They shouldn've called the cops anyway," Soda takes a swig of milk, pushing the glass to Ponyboy, who turns the glass around to drink from the opposite side. "Wonder who it was; we were having so much fun before they broke it up."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"As he swallows the last piece of pancake, Ponyboy feels full and sleepy. He rubs at his face, a scowl on his face. "Probably the Cades."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Sodapop doesn't share who he thinks it was or at least, if he does, he lets it go as he finishes off the milk. "Whoever they were, doesn't change the fact that it was great." He reaches over the table, ruffling Ponyboy's hair with pride that feels magnetic. "My little brother, all grown up like the rest of us, throwing the biggest party on the block!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"And hell, who could blame Ponyboy for loving him for that? Who could blame Ponyboy for feeling happier than ever as he cleans up, slips into bed with Soda to pleasant dreams of Dallas opposite the fire, offering him whisky, their fingers touching? Who could blame him for wanting to dream of Dallas?/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Sunday comes in brisk, cool. Everyone's lawns are mostly cleaned by then, and Ponyboy knocks on the Mathews' door as soon as he can get up, brush his teeth and get some clothes on. He'd shoved a book in his backpocket, but before he wanted to do anything else, he wanted to see Johnny. Mrs. Mathews is the one who opens the door in her Sunday clothes, smiling at him kindly. "Hey there, Ponyboy. Two-Bit's asleep, but Johnny's having breakfast with us."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Mind if I have some, Mrs. Mathews?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Course not, you're a little skinny anyway," she opens the door wider, the scent of bacon and eggs making Ponyboy hungry. He walks inside, and in the kitchen there's Johnny cutting at a sausage, looking a bit better than he had by the end of Friday. His hair's ungreased, in a new shirt, and he beams at Ponyboy immediately./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Ponyboy settles himself in with them easily, taking a plate of scrambled eggs and sitting next to Johnny. Johnny still seems exhausted from Friday, rubbing at his eyes, yawning as he eats. Katie bounces off tons of questions to Ponyboy as they eat, and by the end of it, Ponyboy ends up doing dishes with Johnny, pushing the plate into the hot water, Johnny leaning on the counter with the rag./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""You think the news of the fuzz'll get to the lawyer?" Johnny rubs at his hair, waiting for Ponyboy to finish with the dishes. "He told us not to get into trouble."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"That was something Ponyboy hadn't considered and he chews at his lip as he scrubs at a dish. "I dunno — no one got arrested, did they?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Nah, man," Johnny shakes his head. "Not anyone from our pack, anyway." Ponyboy offers him one of the plates, Johnny taking it with a steady hand. "I got inside quick cause of Two-Bit, and I saw everyone else just run." He grins a little. "Kinda cool, watching everyone run like that; I think I saw a Brumly boy hop on a car, climb over it and run!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"That makes Ponyboy laugh, and so does Johnny. "I think we'll be okay. Darry wasn't even mad when I got in late."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""He wasn't?" Johnny raises his eyebrows./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"There's a voice in his head tells him he should tell Johnny about gripping Dallas' hand. About running into the night with him, and sleeping with him in the hide out. That he thinks he should say, should be able to say.../p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"He doesn't, though. Selfishly, Ponyboy wants to keep this thing between him and Dallas something private a little longer. Wants to be able to keep him close to his own heart for just awhile longer now, until he feels ready to share. "Nah, he wasn't."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Where'd you go?" Johnny asks, eyes big in his face, imploring./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Just near the train racks," Ponyboy lies, and flicks soapy water at Johnny. Johnny gives a half yelp and Ponyboy laughs — right until Johnny throws the rag at him. He ducks, and unfortunately, it hits Katie square in her pigtails./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Too bad it's hilarious, at her big eyes, her glasses slipping halfway down her nose, her hair wet, and a piece of egg in the towel clearly seen. Ponyboy and Johnny crack up at the sight, Katie glowering at them./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"By the time he's done, he asks Johnny, "You got any plans today?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Johnny chews at his bottom lip and nods. Ponyboy looks halfway surprised; Johnny usually doesn't have them, which makes it all the more interesting when he says, "Gotta go into town with Mrs. Mathews today."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Really?" Ponyboy pauses, bewildered. "Why?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"A red flush rises in Johnny's cheeks and he scratches his bitten up fingers against his hair. "Uhm, she spoke to that lawyer. Eugene — he told her that we ain't gonna be okay during the h-hearing if my parents ain't gonna show." He grows redder. "So, she's going to the court to file to be my guardian. We gotta go together."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"As if things couldn't change all the more. Ponyboy feels a lump in his throat, hit like a ton of bricks all at once. Johnny wasn't going to be tied to his parents anymore — emlegally/em he wouldn't. Johnny looks red, and when Ponyboy wraps his arms around Johnny tight. Johnny lets out a sound of surprise, and hugs back as tight as he had in the church. "When did she tell you?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""This morning," Mrs. Mathews answers. Ponyboy lets go of Johnny, looking at her in the doorway. "I already tried to talk to the Cades — they won't answer me, but they'll have to answer the state." She gives a determined look to Ponyboy. "Soon as you guys finish, I need you to get dressed, Johnny."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Yes'm," Johnny says and Ponyboy is just about bursting with feelings of pride mixed with relief./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"It doesn't take long to finish, and once he does, Ponyboy waves to them both as he walks down the steps, unsure of where to go next: to the DX just to see Soda and Steve (halfway curious about how things have panned out and wanting to tell them what he just learned); to go to a diner for lunch; take a bus downtown to the library for a book; or, to Buck's./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"He dawdles for a moment, unsure of himself. Would it be too... soon, too clingy to go to Buck's place, after that? Even if it had only been a day between them, Ponyboy worries at the corner of the street, toeing at a still unpicked up, empty can of beer. A thousand words of advice from the years occur to him from various people in the pack and out, from books, movies, and television./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"The fact of the matter was that this was his first potential relationship. His first foray into the idea that he liked someone enough that he wanted to kiss him, that he had actually touched his body for the first time, thinking of Dallas, that he actually emgot/em all those books about omegas infatuated with an alpha, understood even a little of how Soda felt about Sandy./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"And that's the key to it, he thinks. How Soda had told him early on that he loved Sandy. Soda hadn't hesitated much about his feelings about Sandy, he had been eager and forthright. Even if Sandy was gone.../p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Ponyboy turns, and makes his way to Bucks./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"If anyone in the world was right about love, even if it hadn't turned out perfect, it was Soda. Ponyboy trusted him, especially as the only omega he knew, now. He shoves his hands into his pockets as he goes, shivering a little. He'd forgotten his jacket again, but stubbornly walks his way to the bar, his mind drifting./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"It felt a little funny that he was making his way back to there. Last night, they had ran all the way to the tracks Dallas had pointed him to during that night, months ago. Back then, Ponyboy hadn't thought to look around much, to care much about getting there, hopping the freight where they could./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Having that place as his first kiss, in the darkness with Dallas was altogether different. Even buzzed, Ponyboy remembers Dallas clearly, the way something on his face had changed, the press of his hand against Ponyboy's cheek, the way he had leaned forward, pressed his lips against Ponyboy's tasting of beer and whisky. It wasn't bad at all; whatever old thoughts he'd had of Dallas were simply gone now, washed away with the closeness they had now, with the change of things./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Before all this, Dallas had been a little ugly to him./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Now, he wasn't exactly going to make a cover model, not anymore than Ponyboy could. But there was a handsomeness to his features, Ponyboy thinks, only expressed in movement, in who he was. All his features individually might be ugly, could look to be ugly on the surface. The way he grinned full of danger, the way he was so wild and reckless, made it all seem different./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"It was like the difference between a wolf, menacing someone from the cover of a magazine to seeing a wolf in nature, moving fluid and natural and all on it's own./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"And in that, Ponyboy wonders what exactly Dallas could see in emhim/em in what he could want from him. There's a vague memory there from some of those bull nights — Two-Bit nudging Dallas about wanting omegas, Dallas not rebuffing him; Steve making a remark once or twice about Dallas and slick in a way he didn't understand. They all know something more, and for a moment, there's a worry about it. Maybe Ponyboy was easy, maybe it's because the only other omega was Soda, someone who Dallas had never been interested in./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"He wonders to himself, resolves that as soon as he gets to Buck's, they'll sit down. Talk. He picks up the pace as the bar looms overhead. Every time he's been here, it's been to seek Dallas, whether for help or for comfort and the thought is calming as he goes up the steps./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"There isn't much in way of commotion at the bar; some people are out at church or working or not even awake. Ponyboy knocks on the door, catching his reflection in the window. The blonde hair is longer than it was, some of his reddish, auburn roots showing. He scowls at his reflection, hair still too short for his liking./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Footsteps from the other side approach, and Buck opens the door. The bar is clear, but not necessarily clean, and Ponyboy says, "Is Dallas in?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""No, he ain't," Buck stands in the doorway himself, looking hungover, emsmelling/em hungover (and slightly worse) in the doorway. He's got his corn pokey, terrible cowboy hat on, his figure halfway slumped. "Ain't seen him since Thursday, kid."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Ponyboy's heart plummets. He clears his throat. "You know when he'll get back in?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Nope," Buck drawls out. "You want me to leave him a message?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"For a second, Ponyboy considers it, and then shakes his head. "No. I'll just come back later."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Sure," Buck rolls his shoulders, glances at Ponyboy's hand. "Congratulations, by the way."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Great. emBuck/em had a comment about that. Ponyboy doesn't say thank you, just leaps down the steps, and makes his way to the bus stop. He feels disappointed, a little let down, kicking at the dirt — he lifts his head up as he hears a car making a sharp turn, and to his surprise, Dallas slows down Buck's car, half overtaking the curb when he stops./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Dally!" He grins at him, and then is startled to realize that Dallas is worse off than before, with more bruises beneath the grin he gives him. "What the hell happened to you?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Get in," Dallas waves him over with a wince. Ponyboy hops into the passenger side, and Dallas puts the car into drive, going right back to Buck's./p