Happy together
Soda
Smiling to myself when I found her on the tire swing we'd hung in the back yard I approached slowly.
"You ok?" I asked coming to stand in front of her.
" I feel like such an ass," She said swinging her feet.
" Well if it means anything, Tim didn't seem to mind playing along," I said smiling as I joined her on the swing ignoring the rain as I studied her face.
"The funny thing is, I was dating Tim before any of this mess happened," She said flushing when I turned to her shocked.
"Gloria Love Curtis what the hell are you doing with Tim Shepard!"
" I don't know Soda, he makes me feel safe, and when it comes to me he's real sweet," She said smiling at me bashfully.
" He calls me his princess, and buys me things, and I don't mean flowers and candy, I mean essentials ya know?" She said tilting her head.
"He takes real good care of me."
Trying to keep an open my mind I bit my tongue. He obviously made her happy so who was I to point out that he was a total hood.
" I know what you're thinking Pepsi Cola, Tim Shepard, cold hearted, mean ole, ruthless Shep? "
"Trust me when I say you aren't thinking anything I didn't think myself when we started dating, but I guess you just can't control who you fall for."
" That's true," I whispered thinking of how long it had taken me to get over Sandy's betrayal.
Wrapping my arm around her I pulled her closer trying to share my warmth.
" So, is this … serious?"
" Extremely," She mumbled watching me out of the corner of her eyes.
"If it makes you happy it makes me happy Coca- Cola," I said laughing at the relief I saw.
" I knew I could count on you bro."
" Yea, I some how doubt Darry will be so understanding," I said helping her to stand as I led us in to the house.
"Come on lets get changed before we catch pneumonia and Darry lectures us to death."
Shaking my head as we made our way to the laundry room in the back I wondered if there was something in the water these days. Pony had fallen for Angela, and now Love was with Tim. No wonder he hadn't minded playing the part of Fiancée.
Tim's POV
Making my way to the Curtis house thirty minutes later I tried to plan out what I was going to say. Love knew the score now, but I didn't know where we stood. I liked being with her, and having my guys looking out for her made me feel more at ease when she was out and about on her own. The fellas had taken a real liking to her, and I honestly didn't want to take that relationship away from them. Parking I took a deep breath I turned my collar up before dashing to the front door.
" Hey," I said playing it cool as I greeted everyone.
"Let's talk," I said gesturing toward her room as she nodded and untangled herself from Soda's limbs laughing as she gave him a playful shove.
The Curtis's had always been a loving family, and sometimes I envied their ability to show their emotions freely. In my house laughter, and concern had been seen as signs of weakness, and earned a beating. But that was after we had lost everything, and Dad had started drinking. Once upon a time, the Shepard's really hadn't been so different from this family, but that was years ago; and I learned there was no use living in the past.
"Are you mad?" She asked turning to me as she shut the door.
"No I aint mad Lovey, you were really sick there for awhile, had me a little worried."
"Timothy Wayne Shepard worried?" She teased wrapping her arms around my waist as she looked up and grinned impishly.
" Yea,so don't make it a habit of getting hurt Lovey," I said thinking of the boy I'd almost killed tonight in a rumble.
" I won't," She said closing her eyes as I leaned in to capture her lips.
Savoring the moment I pulled her closer running my hands under her shirt. I had missed this connection over the past few months. Having her fill me in where her memory of Johnny should have been had made me feel guilty. Like I was lying to her by playing along. What we had now was real, and explosive. Heading over to the bed I growled in the back of my throat as I covered her body with my own.
" We shouldn't," She whispered panting as we came up for air.
"I want you so bad Love."
Love's POV
" We need to tell Darry," I said running my hands through his hair as I enjoyed the feel of his body pressed against mine.
After months of being together openly the last think I wanted to do was go back to sneaking around.
"Tonight," he said with a hard look that told me he expected trouble.
" I told Dall."
" What'd he say?"
" Said as long as I made you happy he didn't have a problem," he said smiling at my doubtful glance.
"That was after we exchanged a few blows."
Nodding I sighed as I glanced at the ceiling.
"I guess I should give this back," I said as he rolled off me and we stood straightening our clothing.
" Just … hold on to it for awhile," he said making me tilt my head in confusion.
"Look Love, I- I um, I'm not too good at this stuff, but I like being with you, I mean you dig ok ya know, being with you makes me happy, and … I guess what I'm trying to say is … I love you." He spat out making me smile.
Only Tim would make the word love sound like a swear word.
" You love me," I whispered ignoring the difficulty he'd had spitting out the L word.
"Isn't it fucking obvious?" he grumbled making me chuckle.
"Only to me," I said wrapping my arms around his neck as I grinned like a fool.
" Can I stay with you tonight?" I said loving the heat that glowed in his eyes just for me.
Turning the normally glacier blue in to a flickering flame as it raked over my body.
"You'd better," he growled making me weak in the knees when I felt his excitement against my stomach.
"Let's go get this over with so we can get out of here," I whispered suggestively laughing like a child as we quickly headed to the living room.
PONY'S POV
The grins on the two faces as they came out of the room told me they had worked things out. Now the shit would really hit the fan, I thought noticing the ring was still nestled on the second finger of her right hand.
" You guys squared away now?" Darry asked looking up from the stove where he was fixing stew.
"Yea, but I have something I need to tell you guys," Love said looking at the floor as she shifted her weight from side to side.
"Tim and me are going steady," She said making everyone gasp.
" I thought you said you remembered everything now," Two-Bit said dumbly.
" She does," Soda said surprising me as he rushed to her aid coming to stand beside her.
" Someone better start explaining now," Darry said, face flushed as he moved to stand directly in front of my red-faced sister.
"Before everything happened we were all ready dating," Tim said clenching his jaw as he met Darry's disapproving gaze.
"You been seeing my sister behind my back," he said standing to his full height as his nostrils began to flare.
" What the hell is it with the Curtis's and the Shepards!" Two-Bit exclaimed trying to lower the tension with his patented humor.
" I don't believe this," Darry said shaking his head, as he shot Love a disgusted look that made my blood boil.
" I obviously didn't do a good job of raising you for you to end up with a fucking Shepard Love, what the hell are you thinking!" He asked making her upper lip tremble.
"Are you sleeping with him too!" He asked paling when she didn't deny the claim.
"Great, so not only are you dating trash you're acting like a whore too!" He said making us all look at him outraged.
" Hey man, that's enough!" Soda said taking in the way the veins were bulging in Tim's forearms, and forehead.
" I'm done worrying about you little sister, as a matter of fact you can just get out of my sight now," He said remaining unsympathetic as she began to cry, and fled the house.
Watching in slow motion as Tim grabbed Darry by the neck and slammed him against the wall I held my breath.
"Listen you fucking prick, that's my girl you're name calling, and I could care less if she's your sister, no one talks to her like that."
" I'll be by for her stuff tomorrow, cause there's no way she'll be staying her any more." He said releasing him as he headed out of the house making eye contact with all of us as he dared anyone to speak.
"What the fuck is wrong with you! You're chasing her away just like you did Pony!" Soda screamed pale as he starred at the door that had just slammed.
"She'll never come back now! That's our baby sister you just talked to like a piece of trash Darrel!"
" When he get's her knocked up what do you think she's going to be, just another greaser girl with a good for nothing hood boyfriend." He yelled shocked when Soda's fist met his jaw.
"That's my twin you're talking about!" He yelled storming out with Steve, and Two-Bit on his heels.
Shell Shocked by everything that had just occurred I made my way to my room, ignoring Darry who had collapsed in his armchair looking defeated. Once again I felt like my family was falling apart.
"We could use a little help mom," I said glancing at a family photo before throwing myself on to the bed.
Love's POV
"Love, forget him, he's just upset he didn't mean it," Tim said wrapping his arm around me as he led me to the car.
" He called me a whore Tim, in front of everyone," I said angry with myself for letting the hot tears spill down my cheeks.
"He just wants better for you is all."
" What does he know about what I need any more," I said shaking my head as I ground my teeth.
"Just stay with me for awhile, and give him time to cool off."
Watching the neighborhood fly by I kept my fists clenched until we reached his apartment, attacking him the moment we were through the door.
"Make me forget everything Timmy," I whispered ignoring the sly grins we were receiving from the boys that were playing a card game downstairs.
" Okay baby," he said quickly carrying me upstairs.
"Forget him Love," He whispered against my throat as we made short work of our clothing.
"You're mine now, and I want you hear, Ang wants you here, and the boys would flip if you moved in," He said making me moan as his hands began to work their magic. Soon I was too caught up in Tim to think of anything else.