How could they do that? Weren't they thinking? What happens if someone finds out? They could take Pony away. Darry would put Steve in the hospital. Boys liked girls in Tulsa, damnit. And best friends didn't kiss best friend's baby brothers.

Soda couldn't place the feeling he was having, but it wasn't a good one. It hurt. It'd hurt to see them kiss. How familiar the gestures of love and affection were. How damn happy they looked. Just like he and Sandie used to be. How unimportant that made him.

Soda didn't matter to them anymore. I mean, they'd still be around, but what was a best friend when he had a real significant other? And what was a brother when Pony had a boyfriend? He was going to lose them both.

And he wanted to be happy for them, but he felt abandoned, betrayed and a little jealous. He was never going to find that happiness.

And this was his best friend.

Steve was doing stuff to his little brother. What the hell? They were both guys and Steve was supposed to know better. Soda sat down on the toilet and put his head in his hands.

Why would they do this? How could they do this to him? To the gang?

Soda didn't want to acknowledge his tears but grabbed some toilet paper.

And why hadn't anyone told him?

Soda was the one they both confided in, sometimes even Darry, so why leave him out now? If they were so afraid of hurting him, they wouldn't be kissing at all. No one confided in him anymore. And they were all moving on.

And here he was, crying in the men's bathroom at the movie theatre.

Soda didn't know what to do.

So he did what he did best. He put on a smile and went back out there, knowing later he could work out what he felt, but now, the gang needed him to just be Soda for a while longer.

(la la la)

The next weekend (I know, I let Soda suffer alllll week), Steve and Soda were finishing up their shift at the DX, and Soda decided it was time to talk to Steve.

"Steve, maybe we should-" Soda began.

"Hey guys." Pony slipped in the door and waved. Soda swallowed. It was time to talk to both of them apparently.

"Hey, let's go home, I think we need to talk." Soda said.

Both boys paled.

"God, you sounded like Darry." Pony said.

"No, not quite." Steve murmured. He'd know.

It was a silent ride home in Steve's car.

They sat down on the couch and Soda stood pacing. God, now that he looked, how could he not have seen it? The way they glanced at each other in that lovey dovey, darting way. God. He was dumb. And they were so different that once they started listening to each other-

"Damn. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I know." Soda said. He watched their reactions.

Steve swallowed and Pony went bright red. Oh they knew what he knew.

"How'd you find out?" Steve asked, swallowing.

"I was the real quiet guy in the stall when you visited your favorite gal." Soda said, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice.

"Soda-"

"I'm sorry Sodapop." Pony said. He jumped up and hugged Soda. Soda nodded and let the tears stay, burning in his eyes.

"Don't be sorry. I know that you wouldn't want me to find out that way. And I know that if you two are even thinking of doing that stuff, you have to be serious, or you wouldn't take the risk. Right?"

"Yeah Soda."

"We were trying to think of how to tell you-"

"Well, I think anything would've been better then how I found out. But it's done. And I've had some time to think about it. And I decided that I won't tell Darry."

Soda glanced at them, seeing how ashen their faces got.

"He knows? Darry knows?" Soda couldn't believe it.

"He already threatened Steve's life, so you don't gotta worry about that part." Pony said.

"When were you going to tell me?" Soda asked.

"Soda, I dunno, when the right words came." Pony said.

"What right words are there? You're my baby brother. You're my best friend, since we were little kids. What words can there be?"

"I love him, Soda." Steve said. He was miserable to tell Sodapop so, but he knew it was true. And so did Soda. Soda's tears started to fall and Pony hugged him.

"I'm sorry Sodapop."

"Don't be apologizing. I'm just being a baby. You two should be happy together. I just, don't wanna lose you both."

"You won't." Steve said, rubbing his back as he hugged Pony.

"Don't waste your breath. Whatever happens, I still have a brother and a Steve. Never mind me being a cry baby." He sniffled and brushed his tears away, pulling out of Pony's hug.

"Soda, you ain't a crybaby." Steve said.

"Yeah yeah. Enough touchy feely stuff. It's a Friday night, and what do we Greasers do?"

"Make trouble?" Steve asked.

"No, we take our best gals out. Steve, I want you to take Pony out somewhere nice."

"Soda, we ain't leaving you-"

"No, do it. I know you two prolly don't get much alone time and I'm feeling generous. Just leave me at the Dingo, I'll find some trouble of my own."

"Sodapop, you know we ain't leaving you anywhere-"

"You'd better, or I'll tell Darry that I caught you doing it in his bedroom." Soda threatened.

"That's not funny man. I could die." Steve said.

"Yeah, well, then you'd better take me to the Dingo."

"Sodapop-"

"Do it before I change my mind. Besides, Stevey's paying for my drinks."

He winked at Pony and forced more good will from reserves he didn't know he had. It was gonna be a long night.

(la la la)

Steve dropped Soda off at the Dingo and drove on. They both sat in his car in silence, thinking.

"Wow." Pony said.

"Yeah." Steve agreed.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Pony asked.

"He'll be okay eventually. We have to make sure he still knows we love him." Steve said.

"Yeah, but leaving him at the Dingo-"

"He was serous about telling Darry. He doesn't bluff in situations like that." Steve said.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Pony said.

"I am. Besides, it was real nice of him to give us some alone time." Steve smiled.

"We should go to that place we went a while ago, where you can see the sunsets real good." Pony said.

"Pony, it's dark out. We missed the sunset." Steve said.

"I know." Pony said, smiling.

"Oh." Steve swallowed.

"Yeah." Pony said, flushing.

(la la la)

Pony and Steve were drinking Coke's on the hood of his car again, in the same place Steve'd taken him a few weeks back. The stars were out and Pony was shivering cold.

"Look, you can see the big dipper." He said, pointing. Steve looked, but his gaze always wandered back to Pony.

"You're shivering. Don't cha ever bring a jacket?" Steve slipped off his leather jacket and slipped it around Pony, startled when Pony gripped his tee shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. Steve fell forward a little before he caught himself, leaning hard on Pony as they kissed.

"Nope. Don't need it for long anyway." Pony murmured.

"Good."

Pony slipped his arms around Steve and felt how warm he was, his skin burning through the thin tee shirt he wore. He ran his hand down Steve's back as they kissed, wanting to feel more.

Steve slipped his tongue into their kiss and felt Pony startle. His lips parted a little anyway and he was touching Steve for the first time, really. Before, he'd restrained himself and let Steve do most of the work but now, his hands roamed and he couldn't keep still under Steve. And through their kiss, his tongue lapped at Steve's and Steve groaned.

"It's too cold out here." Pony said, his teeth chattering as their kiss broke for a moment.

"Wanna get back in the car?" Steve asked.

"Yeah."

Pony slipped off the hood of the car, watching for that damn pointy hood ornament and smiled, rubbing his arms as the jacket fell off him. He picked it up as Steve slipped off and headed for the front car door. When Steve reached to open the front door for Pony, he smiled and shut it.

"Try again." He said. Steve's eyebrows arched and he opened the door to the back seat. Pony slipped in and reached out, grabbing Steve's hand and pulling him in.

"Whoa." Steve mumbled as the door swung shut behind him. He was settled between Pony's legs and Pony kissed him again, his hand slipping toward Steve's tee shirt, about to pull it off. "Pony, are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely."