Chapter 10

"What the fuck do you mean the Soc was sitting next to you?"

Dally's voice echoed though the courthouse building. Johnny, who was already shaken up, flinched and swallowed a lump. He was used to Dally yelling but ever since he lost his sight it all seemed to affect him even more. Ponyboy put his arm around Johnny and pulled him closer, sending Dallas a look of irritation for not being able to control his anger. It wasn't Johnny's fault any of it so why should he have to yell at him? Johnny was shivering and chewing his already down-bitten nails.

"Calm down, Dal," Darry said and crossed his arms. He fixed the furious blonde with a stern look but that didn't stop Dally from flipping him off.

"Fuck off, Superman," Dally hissed and turned to Johnny and Ponyboy. "Why the hell didn't ya call out for us so I could beat the living shit outta him, man?"

Johnny just shrugged and dropped his head, not saying a word to displease Dally even further.

"I'm gonna fucking find that prick. I have had it with just standing around doing shit about it!" Dally said and started to march off but stopped as Darry spoke again.

"What are you gonna do, huh, Dal?" Darry asked. "Beat up every Soc to make sure you got the right one?"

"If that's what it takes, then yes!" Dally spat, his eyes fiery.

"I'm up for it," Two-Bit added but took a step back when Darry eyed him, and he stuck both hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. "If everyone else agrees, that is..." he then mumbled and cleared his throat.

"Ain't no one starting a fight with the Socs. We had that fight with them weeks ago and they agreed to stay at their end of town," Darry said, trying to make order.

"Well, clearly one is not keeping that end of the damn deal," Steve said, now being a bit worked up too. "We should have another fight with 'em. Tell 'em to give up the scumbag!"

"You can search all you want," Darry said and pulled Pony and Soda with him, Pony still having a hold on Johnny. "But we are going home to talk about our next move. There will be another court hearing the day after tomorrow and we need to be ready for that so Johnny doesn't get sent to prison and my brothers in a boys' home. Did ya forget that?" He turned to look at the three remaining greasers.

Dallas mumbled something but didn't repeat it when asked about it. Two-Bit and Steve looked at each other and decided not to say anything and just followed Darry and the three others out the building. Dallas followed as well, kicking the first rock he could when they got outside.

OooOoOo

The next evening Ponyboy was sitting by the window, looking out at the street. There wasn't much to look at and a dog barking was the only sign of there being any life outside. Johnny let out a sigh and that made Pony wake up from where ever his mind had been.

"You okay?" he asked and went over to sit by his friend. Johnny just shrugged.

"I'm just thinking..."

"About?"

"Everything... the trial, the Soc, my eyesight..." Johnny said in a half whisper and leaned in, placing his head against Pony's shoulder. "What if it all just goes to hell? That I either get sent off to prison or the Soc gets me if I don't." He sighed again. "I don't wanna go to prison, man... Remember what Dal said? That you get tough in prison. I ain't sure I would be able to go tough and then what would happen to me? If I don't go tough I mean. And if I don't go to prison and stay out here, you guys would have to keep an eye on me at all times 'cause I can't see nothing. I can't defend myself." He took a long breath and then continued. "I'll probably never see again. I won't be able to see you guys again..." His voice broke and he stopped talking as he was trying to keep the tears from spilling. Pony put and arm around him and pulled him closer.

"I don't think I can handle not being able to see any of you guys... I won't be able to join in on anything. No more sunsets or rises. That's what I'm really gonna miss... the sunrise that we shared up at the church." He let out a sob but kept his head against Pony's shoulder.

Ponyboy didn't say anything as he thought about it. No more watching sunsets with his best friend. He wouldn't be able to enjoy them like Pony would. No. Pony wouldn't think about it. He wouldn't have his friend be this sad. He would show him that there was more to the world than seeing it. He took Johnny's hand and got up from the bed.

"Come on," he said and looked at Johnny whose expression looked rather puzzled, but he got up and Pony dried a tear from his cheek with his thumb.

"Let's go watch a sunset."

Before Johnny could say anything, Pony dragged him through the house. Darry asked where they were going as they passed and Pony just answered with a short, "out," before walking out onto the porch.

"Pony," protested Johnny as they finally came to a halt. "I can't watch a sunset... what part did you miss of me being blind?"

Pony just shook his head and looked at him. Johnny was standing next to him, facing his direction and Pony took a gentle hold on Johnny's shoulders with both hands and turned him so he was looking towards the street.

"You don't have to see it to feel it," he said and placed himself beside Johnny, still holding his hands on his shoulders. Ponyboy gazed into the distance where the sun was setting. The color of the clouds and the sky were changing from a bright to a darker hue but he didn't want to notice them. He wanted to feel the way Johnny was feeling so he closed his eyes and they just stood there in silence.

"The sun is really setting..." Johnny suddenly said and took a deep breath of the now cold evening air.

"Yeah," Pony said, feeling how the air was getting colder and the light disappearing as the sun was going down past the buildings. Even though he couldn't see the colors he knew they were there and he hoped that Johnny could remember them just as clearly as he could.

Finally, the warmth of the sun's rays left them and they both stood still, feeling the darkness flow in. Pony kept his eyes closed even though he didn't have to. Even though he hadn't seen the sunset he would say that it had maybe been the best one yet. One he had shared with his friend. Someone he loved.

He turned his head towards Johnny and slowly opened his eyes to look at the boy who was now standing in the dim streetlight. There was just something about the way he looked. The way his hair was waving in the light breeze that made him look beautiful. A thing that Pony had not really noticed before. Johnny must have felt him looking at him because he turned his head towards him and blinked a few times.

"Pony?" He asked in a low voice and Ponyboy reached out to touch his cheek and then cupped his face.

"I'm here," he said and stepped up close to him, looking into the dull eyes. Not giving it much thought he leaned in closer to Johnny, their lips so close that he could feel Johnny's hot breath on his.

"Pony," Johnny repeated but Ponyboy just shushed him and closed the gap between them.

The soft lips were like silk. What was he doing? He was kissing Johnny. His longtime friend and yet it didn't feel all that odd to him. It came almost natural. To his surprise Johnny didn't pull away from him but instead moved a hand up to his shoulder and rested it there.

Realizing what they were actually doing, Pony broke off the kiss but his hands remained on Johnny's cheeks. The black-haired boy's eyes were closed but slowly opened as Pony looked at him, waiting for some sort of reaction.

"I'm sorry," Pony said with a mumble. "I dunno why I did that..."

Johnny was quiet for a moment and seemed to be stunned by what had happened. "I um…" he mumbled but smiled a little.

Ponyboy was a little taken back by Johnny smiling after what happened. Maybe he was just as confused as Pony was and didn't know how to react to it all.

"What are you two doing?" a voice sounded behind them and Pony quickly turned his head, quickly letting go of Johnny's face.

Dallas stood looking at them both with a cigarette dangling from his lip and pulling on his jacket.

"Just watching a sunset," Pony said nervously and scratched his arm.

It didn't seem like Dally had seen what they had done, though. If he had, then Pony would have been hurled to the ground by Dally who would not wait for an explanation on why he had been kissing Johnny and just beaten the tar out of him.

Dallas just raised his eyebrows at him and shook his head. "You're crazy, kid," he said and stuck his hands into his pockets.

"You heading to Buck's?" Pony asked, trying to kill the awkwardness between him and Johnny by changed the subject.

"Gonna go see if there's people in our neighborhood that shouldn't be here," Dallas mumbled and blew a smoke ring before walking past them and heading down the path towards the fence. "You kids should get your asses back inside. You're sitting ducks out here you know..."

"Y-yeah… we should probably do that," Pony nodded. He took a hold on Johnny who followed him inside without a word.

OooOoOo

Lying in bed that night there was an air of awkwardness between them. They were lying back to back without speaking. Ponyboy wished he knew what to say to Johnny but he found himself at a loss for words. He had kissed his best friend. That just wasn't normal, was it? He didn't even know why he had done it. It had just been an impulse he hadn't been able to control.

"You asleep?" Johnny's voice broke the silence and Pony rolled onto his back, turning his head to look at the still body beside him.

"No... no, I'm not..." he mumbled and rested his hands on his chest. Johnny sighed and moved a little but he remained with his back turned.

"I don't hate you for what you did, you know..." he then said in a low voice as if he was afraid someone was listing at the door. "I'm just… confused right now..."

"I'm sorry I did what I did," Pony said and felt a knot form in his stomach. He hadn't meant to upset Johnny. He had enough on his mind and surely didn't need this right now.

"No, no... Don't be sorry," Johnny said before rolling over and lying on the other side, now facing Ponyboy. "It ain't that I didn't like it. I… I actually did and that's what confuses me."

Pony looked at him stunned and rolled over to face him as well. "You did?"

Johnny nodded and dropped his head a little and took a deep breath.

"I dunno why... 'cause it ain't normal… And yet... I enjoyed it..."

"When have we ever been normal?" Pony smiled, building up all his courage and carefully touching Johnny's cheek with two fingers. "I ain't anymore normal than you, then, 'cause I enjoyed it too..."

They went quiet for a moment before Pony continued. "Remember what we talked about when we watched our first sunset at the church? About being different. Either we are different or everyone else is..."

Johnny couldn't help but chuckle and took a gentle hold on Pony's wrist. "I don't think we had this in mind, though, when we talked about that..." He pulled Pony's hand down and gently placed it on his side and he scooted closer to Ponyboy so they lay flushed up against each other.

Pony could hear Johnny's breath hitch and he seemed a little nervous but Pony just gently let his hand slide up his side, neck and up to his face again, pushing the hair out of his eyes. He swallowed hard and looked at the boy in front of him. How was it that he was suddenly feeling this way about Johnny? Was it because of all they had gone through together? It seemed that Johnny was feeling the same thing and right now all he could actually think of was touching those lips again. So he leaned his head in close to Johnny, who nervously pulled a little back.

"It's okay," Pony whispered and leaned a little bit closer. This time Johnny didn't move away and their lips touched again softly. It felt a little awkward but good too, and after a moment he relaxed and let his fingers travel down Johnny's cheek and down his neck onto his shoulder. Johnny let out a low gasp and Pony felt his tongue touch his lips. He opened his mouth and Johnny's tongue carefully slipped inside, caressing Pony's. He tried his best but it was a little messy and only lasted for a few seconds.

They pulled apart shortly after and lay still for a moment.

"W… what was that?" Pony asked and smiled goofily. It had felt nice but also a little strange. Maybe it had not been done the way it was supposed to be done.

"I… I saw Dally do it once with a girl," Johnny mumbled. "Not that I was trying to watch them but they were kinda all over the place..." He chuckled and rested his head against Pony's shoulder. "Guess I wanted to see how that felt... Was a little strange, huh?"

"A little, but maybe we just need practice," Pony said and caressed his cheek, hoping that Johnny wouldn't be pushed away by the idea of them kissing again.

"Maybe," Johnny mumbled and drew a long breath. Ponyboy could feel Johnny shiver and he wasn't sure if it was because he was cold or if something else was wrong but he pulled him closer and pulled the blanket up over them, tugging them both under it.

"Pony?"

"Mm?"

"I'm glad you're here with me..." he said in an almost whisper and his breathing went slow and steady.

"Me too," Pony replied and rested his head against the soft black locks. He closed his eyes and felt himself getting drowsy.

"I'm real glad, too…"

I know it has been a long time since last update and I am sorry for that. I must admit I have been working more on other stories but I will try and keep a update on this one as well from now on. I am sorry for this late post. Hope you all enjoyed it though =)