Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, or "Mercy" by Duffy.

CHAPTER TEN
Saturday, January 14th, 1967

I don't know what you do, but you do it well,
I'm under your spell.

Henry's hot hand was burning into the bare skin of her knee in a way that made Anna wish they were alone. For a Saturday night, Buck's was pretty dead as it was, but a part of her wanted to mention the idea of leaving, of going somewhere more … private. She couldn't help it - she liked Henry, and his touch was something she was wanting more of every time he kissed her, slid his thumb over her neck, leaned down to whisper something her ear.

Letting him get past second base and heated make-out sessions in his car was becoming more appealing by the minute.

She couldn't help wondering, though, if it was really being alone with Henry that made her want to leave. Especially when she'd spent her night in a group of people that consisted of the guy she was dating, who she really liked, and who kept trying to make out with her; and the guy she used to date, who she couldn't stop thinking about, and who she kept catching looking at her.

Frustrating wasn't a strong enough word for it.

Having one boy all over her where she sat while another watched angrily from another table wasn't something she was used to. All she could be glad for was that it took her mind off Danny. She had barely seen him since Wednesday, and hadn't spoken to him since. He kept giving her strange looks the few times they'd both been home, but neither had said anything.

She hated it. The way she'd treated Danny had been terrible, and she wished she'd just stuck around at Grandpa Joe's. Things would be okay with Danny, and she never would've had that damn discussion with Steve. Instead, she and Danny weren't talking - something that had only happened once before - and Steve was ruining her night.

Well, that might be a bit dramatic, but she couldn't do anything about the way he kept watching her and it bothered her. All she'd wanted was to spend the night hanging out with Henry - flirting, kissing, touching - without knowing about the eyes watching her. She wanted to at least try to have some kind of normal relationship with Henry. Normal couples kissed and danced and could be together without their exes' stares making them nervous. Sure, she and Henry weren't a couple, but that wasn't the point.

"You okay?" Henry asked, leaning toward her.

She looked into his warm eyes. "I could use another drink."

"Anything in particular?" he asked, standing.

She stood, too, knowing Steve was watching. "I'll come with you."

He gave her that sexy grin of his, and took her hand. Smiling softly, Anna didn't look anywhere near Steve as Henry led her to the bar, and attempted to push him out of her head and heart. Henry had worked his way into both quicker than she would have thought. She just needed to get rid of Steve.

She watched Henry order their drinks, thinking back to Kathy catching them making out earlier. Kissing Henry wasn't the same as Steve, she could admit that, but it was so damn close. Kathy turning up had been a pain because it was so damn close that all she wanted to do was let it happen. Let it all happen.

Relationship, feelings, sex - Henry wanted it all from her, and a part of her so badly wanted to give it to him. But she couldn't, and it was all Steve's fault. That was all it came down to. She wanted to give everything she could to Henry, but she couldn't because everything she had still lay with Steve. She hated it, she hated herself for it, and she wanted to hate him, too.

She couldn't have a relationship with Henry because she just wasn't ready. As much as she wanted to move on, she wasn't stupid enough to think that jumping into something new when she was still in deep with someone else would work. It hadn't for Steve - or so he said - and she knew it wouldn't for her.

Her feelings for Henry were complicated. They were there, no doubt about that, but they paled in comparison to what she still felt for Steve. It wasn't fair to Henry, but a part of her still firmly believed that would change. She would get over Steve, and being with Henry would help.

But as much as she enjoyed Henry's kisses, his small touches, and the way his thumb grazed the skin at her neck, she couldn't sleep with him. She wasn't like Ruth Goodall who slept with anyone whenever she wanted to. Anna had only slept with two guys; one she thought she'd had deep feelings for, and one she still did.

She hated being this way - all worried about her feelings and love and all the sappy stuff she used to try and ignore. It was what being with Steve had done to her. She used to be able to brush off anything that hurt with a mix of stubbornness, pride, and a few sarcastic comments, but now everything got to her. She knew she did a shitty job at hiding her feelings when Steve said something particularly nasty - the way she'd slapped him proved that.

What she really wanted was to forget. Forget Two-Bit, who had convinced Kathy to get back together with him and would probably hurt her again pretty damn soon. Forget Danny, who she hadn't spoken to in days and who was out with Tim - probably doing all kinds of stupidly dangerous things to keep the River Kings out of their territory. And most of all, forget Steve Randle and everything about him.

"Hey," Henry whispered, lips against her ear.

She shivered slightly, pulling back to look at him. Staring into his brown eyes, she didn't even think about anything. Leaning up, she kissed him, letting him deepen the kiss however damn much he wanted to.

He felt good, he tasted good, and he was good. At that moment, that was all that mattered.

XXXXX

Steve was a little buzzed. He'd been watching Anna with Phillips all night, but he was still having an okay time. Not only was Anna meeting his gaze more often than she really should be since she was there with another guy, but he was definitely making her uncomfortable. Not the kind of uncomfortable he had made her feel when he was with Evie, but the kind of uncomfortable he had made her feel before they had gotten together - both wanting each other, but unsure about what to do.

Or so he liked to tell himself.

"So I was thinkin'," Two-Bit said, from his seat across from Steve, "if a few of us jump Phillips, keep him outta commission for a bit, then that oughtta buy you at least a few minutes alone with Anna, right?"

Steve raised an eyebrow. He and Two-Bit had discussed starting shit with Phillips, and had even messed with him by taking his hubs, but jumping him was too much. Especially when they needed to be on the same side for whatever was going to happen with the River Kings.

"How drunk are you?"

"I ain't drunk at all, I'll have you know," Two-Bit said. He leaned back, sliding his arm along the back of Kathy's chair. "I'm more sober than I've been in my life thanks to this lovely lady here."

"Wow, Two-Bit. Can you say that with any less resentment?" Kathy asked.

After the last few months of Kathy glaring at him every chance she got, Steve was surprised by his own words. "She's right to keep you sober, buddy. You've been drunk every time shit with the River Kings has gone down. Not drinking for one night ain't gonna hurt."

Two-Bit frowned. "You tryin' to say I got a problem, Stevie?"

"Yeah. A problem keeping your trap shut around the wrong people."

"And sometimes the right people," Kathy muttered.

Two-Bit laughed. "This is why I do what I do for you, beautiful. I don't mind not drinkin' for you when you bring out those smart-ass comments I love so damn much."

What Steve found interesting was that Two-Bit was completely serious. He seemed to like Kathy most when she was giving someone a hard time - even if it was him. Hell, especially if it was him. Two-Bit seemed to get off on Kathy's dry sense of humour, and it was probably why he riled her up so much.

Steve looked up from his beer to see Kathy's reaction, only to find the newly back together couple making out in front of him. Two-Bit's hand was already fiddling with the top button of Kathy's blouse, and Steve looked away, frowning.

His gaze automatically landed on another making out couple, though, and his chest clenched. He realised then that that must have been what it was like for Anna when he was with Evie - both times. And it sucked. It was really fucking shitty, and he felt terrible for having put her through that … especially when their break-up had still been so fresh.

"Don't torture yourself, man," Soda said, sitting next to him.

Steve just shrugged, looking away from Anna. "Where you been?"

"Oh." Soda looked sheepish. "Shelley Winters wanted to, uh, tell me how sorry she was about Sandy leavin'."

"No way? I thought she was with Danny Harris?"

"Apparently not anymore. Anyway, nothin' happened. I mean, we made out for a bit, but that's it."

Steve just nodded, knowing that even making out with Shelley Winters - someone Soda had liked a lot a while back - wouldn't cheer him up about Sandy. He tried not to be angry at the blonde his best friend loved, but he couldn't help it. It didn't matter that Soda wasn't all that angry, or that Sandy had cheated because she'd been in love with someone else, or even that Steve himself was a cheater and had no right to judge. The bitch had hurt his best friend, and he hated her for it.

He didn't realise his gaze had drifted back to Anna and Phillips until his eyes narrowed. A hand was sliding up the back of her blouse.

"Christ," he muttered. "You think they really have to do that right there?"

Soda shrugged. "You did it with Evie."

"I guess."

"In fact, isn't that how Anna found out about you and Evie?"

Steve scowled. "That don't make this okay, Soda. He's all over her, and she's just fucking letting him touch her like that, in the middle of the roadhouse."

"He's hardly all over her." Kathy had come up for air. "And what do you care anyway?"

"I don't," he snapped.

Kathy laughed at him. "Bull. You're practically turning green just from lookin' at them. You know, jealousy ain't pretty on you, Steve."

What the hell could he say to that? Kathy was completely right; he was jealous, and it was putting him in one hell of a bad mood. As much as Anna and Phillips were pissing him off, he didn't want to let them ruin his night. If anything, he wanted to ruin Phillips' night by getting Anna back.

He smirked and picked up his drink, saying nothing to Kathy. She rolled her eyes.

"You know, this wouldn't be happening if you hadn't screwed around on her," she said. "But you did, and now that you want her back, you're too late."

"No I'm not."

"Give it a few days and those two will be officially together," she said.

"I ain't too late."

Kathy raised an eyebrow. "Like hell you aren't -"

Soda, ever the peacemaker, held his hands up in a 'timeout' gesture. "C'mon, guys. No need to fight. We're here to have fun, remember?"

"Soda's right," Two-Bit said, fingers pressing into Kathy's jaw, turning her to face him.

Steve made a face as they started kissing again, but said nothing else. He shouldn't be arguing with Kathy anyway, not if he didn't want Anna more pissed at him than she already was.

"C'mon, buddy." Soda stood. "Let's go outside."

XXXXX

Two hours later, Buck's was even emptier, and Steve was sober. Sober because he had new information that he planned to use. He probably shouldn't, but it was all he had and he was going to take it for everything he could.

Finishing his beer, he watched Phillips get up and head to one of the back rooms with Tim and the rest of the Shepard gang. He didn't give two shits what their meeting was about, he was just glad both Phillips and Danny were out of the way for a while. It basically gave him free range with Anna, what with Kathy holed up in some bedroom with Two-Bit, and Soda and Anita having some kind of quiet yet heated discussion in a corner.

Grabbing the fresh beers he'd ordered, he made his way toward Anna. She frowned at him as soon as she saw him coming. Smirking, he sat opposite her and handed her one of the beers. Of course, Anna being Anna, she raised her eyebrows and stared at it.

"Take it," he insisted.

"Why?"

"Because it's all paid for and someone has to drink it."

She took it, relaxing immediately, and Steve figured she already had a few drinks in her. She'd be a hell of a lot more tense if she wasn't at least a little soused. Leaning forward, his hands closer to hers than they probably should have been, Steve tried the only plan he really had.

"You dump Phillips yet?"

"Nope."

Steve nodded. "Gotta let the guy down slowly, right? Don't want to break his heart."

"I'm not breaking anything because I'm not breaking up with him."

"Yeah, but you know, I'm not sure it could even be considered 'breaking up' when you're not officially together anyway."

Her eyes widened. "How do you know that?"

So he'd been right. Kathy's words had gone right over his head until he'd been outside with Soda. He didn't know what it meant that she technically wasn't Phillips' girlfriend, and he didn't know why she wasn't, but he'd been sure it was something Anna hadn't wanted him to know. And he was right.

Anna wanted him to think she was moving on. He knew - even before this new piece of information - that she hadn't moved on. She was trying, sure, but she was failing miserably. God, he hoped she was failing.

Shrugging, he took a sip of beer. "I'm right, ain't I? I mean, you slept with me the first night we got together … have you slept with Phillips yet?"

He might have gotten a slap in the face last time they'd had this conversation, but glory, he sure was desperate to know.

Leaning forward in her seat, she offered him a nice view down her blouse. "Maybe. Is that why you came over here?" she asked, frown on her face. "Can't you just once talk to me without bringing up you and me?"

A smile spread across his lips at her words, and he made a show of slowly lifting his gaze from the skin he was desperate to see more of. Anna - unknowingly proving his theory of being a little drunk - simply smirked and blushed, not once bothering to lean back in her chair.

"So, whaddya wanna talk about?" he asked.

"What? With you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, nothing." She frowned again. "In fact, I want you to leave."

"Oh, c'mon." Steve laughed. "If that little look you just gave me isn't considered flirting, then I'll give you my car."

She raised an eyebrow, holding out her hand. "Keys?"

"Funny. Now, c'mon. You said you wanted me to talk, so let's talk." He paused, smirking. "You know, like friends."

"We're not friends."

He shrugged. "I think you wanna be friends."

"You do, huh?"

"Well … nah." He slowly took another peek down her blouse. "I think you wanna be more than friends."

Anna blushed again, but as their conversation turned to school, she didn't once tell him he was wrong.

XXXXX

Turning away from Steve, Anna inwardly cringed at the smile she'd given him. Gosh, she must be drunk.

"You really think you're gonna win?" she asked, not looking at him.

"I do every other time."

She looked at him. "You know, I don't think we've ever played pool before."

"Maybe not. But I've always won at other games with you."

Ignoring what he said was easy, but fighting her blush wasn't. If he wanted to spend his night making silly comments like that, then fine. She didn't have to acknowledge them, even if they did get to her.

Glancing at Henry, she returned the small smile he gave her. She didn't know whether or not to feel bad about what she was doing. Henry was her date, but she was playing pool with Steve and not stopping him from flirting with her. Hell, she knew she should feel bad, and she did a little, but she still wasn't stopping.

"Kick his ass, babe," Henry said, grinning.

Well, if he wasn't going to be bothered by it, then neither would she.

Steve was glaring at her. "You're up."

She nodded, wondering what the hell she was doing. Playing pool with an ex-boyfriend wasn't a big deal, really, but when the ex-boyfriend was Steve, who she couldn't stop thinking about, it became a big deal. A huge deal. Especially when she was drunk and almost willing to respond to his flirting with flirting of her own.

Leaning over the table, she lined up the ball, and did her best to ignore Steve's gaze on her. It wasn't that he was putting her off by watching her play, it was that he wasn't bothering to hide the fact that he was checking her out.

"Well done," he murmured a moment later.

She smiled, figuring that she'd been too focused on him watching her to think too much about her shot. It had been a fluke, nothing more. She was terrible at pool, and proved it by missing her next shot.

"Your shot," she said.

He took his shot; it went in, just like she knew it would. She didn't even know why she'd agreed to play - Steve was good at pool. Attempting to beat him was just plain stupid … but then, so was the amount of time she'd spent with him that night. Damn Tim Shepard and his stupid gang meetings.

Steve missed his next shot. And his next, and his next. Ten minutes later, they both had one ball left and Anna was confused.

She frowned. "Are you letting me win?"

He glared again. "Don't you know me at all?"

A bitter reply was on the tip of her tongue, but she pushed it back and said nothing. Glancing around the roadhouse, she realised just how empty it was. Danny and Tim and come and gone, along with most of the Shepard Gang, and other than the small group of people watching them play, there were only a few drunks at the bar, and a few couples slow dancing.

"You could win with these next two shots, Anna."

She looked back at him, knowing he wasn't letting her win; he'd always been a sore loser, after all. He must be having an off night. "I will win with these next two shots."

Glancing at Henry, she paused and watched him a moment. He seemed fine with what she was doing - if not slightly distracted by whatever George was saying to him. But then he caught her gaze, giving her a slow grin. Smiling back, she took her shot, and was surprised to see it sail into the corner pocket.

She smirked at Steve. "Last shot."

"You might've got all the balls in, but losing this shot could lose ya the game," he pointed out.

"That won't happen."

"Sure about that?"

"Of course." An idea came to her immediately. "We should bet on it."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What've you got in mind?"

"Well, if I win, then you gotta stop sayin' all this stuff you've been sayin'."

His eyes flashed angrily. She might've been drunk, but she sure could think on her feet. Moving on was hard when he wasn't letting her, and she needed to move on. Keeping herself detached from him was the only way to do it.

"And if you lose?" he asked, voice low.

Anna shrugged; careless, stupid, drunk. "Name it."

"Anything I want?"

"Within reason."

He smirked, chalking his cue. "In other words I can't use this to get you to come home with me tonight."

Her stomach twisted, and she ignored the smirks from those around them and the glare from Henry. Steve was an idiot, and he just didn't seem to get it. All this flirting might've been fine to begin with, but when he took it too far like that, there were too many damn memories and it hurt.

"Well, take your shot," he said.

She did, holding her breath as she watched the black eight-ball roll along the table and into a pocket. Her heart sank with it when the white ball made its way down the opposite pocket. Groans and cheers came from the group around them, and she sighed. Glory, and she really thought she'd won for a moment there. But of course she hadn't - she never had that kind of luck when Steve was involved.

"Well, look at that." He was smirking at her. She hated that damn smirk.

She shrugged, placing her cue on the table. "Whaddya want, then?"

"Within reason, right?"

She nodded. "Within reason."

"I wan't a kiss."

Her brow furrowed. "A kiss?"

"Yeah, one kiss."

"One kiss."

He took a step toward her. "Repeating it ain't gonna change it, Anna. I won, and I want one kiss."

Was that within reason? She really didn't know. It wasn't asking her to go home with him, but a kiss … shit. Her gaze flew to Henry's, and she didn't know what to do. Well, she knew exactly what she should do, but she wasn't sure she could. Her feet were stuck to the ground, her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth, and her head was stuck in place. She couldn't leave, she couldn't say no, she couldn't even shake her head in disagreement.

Steve sat his cue on the table next to hers, giving her a wolfish grin. "Hey now. No need to look so unhappy about it."

She said nothing, unable to speak - unable to think, move, breathe - as he stepped close.

"It'll be good for you, too," he murmured, and goddamn him, she knew he was right.

He stared down at her, giving her one last heated look - one last chance to stop him - but she couldn't do a damn thing. He gave a small nod, and she had no idea what he was thinking, but he didn't bother giving her another chance out. Leaning down, he kissed her slowly, deeply; lips unhurriedly moving over hers, tongue sliding lightly against her own, and warm hands holding her tightly - one on her lower back, one on the back of her neck. She didn't moan at his touch, she didn't touch him, and she didn't even lean into him.

But she sure as hell kissed him back.

She lost her mind. She wanted to moan at the feel of his body against hers, she wanted to slide her hands up his chest and around his shoulders, and she really wanted to press against him to feel more of what he was pulling her against. The kiss was heavy and intense and goddamn perfect.

She pulled back, shoving him away. It wasn't perfect, because this was Steve and she needed to hate him.

Tears pricked at the back of her eyes for what she had just done to both herself and Henry, and she felt sick. She stared at the ground, shaking and refusing to meet what she was sure was Steve's burning gaze, or Henry's angry eyes. A second later, she turned on her heel and left the roadhouse. She could hear guys jeering at Steve - both making jokes and congratulating him - but she couldn't hear Henry, and she just kept walking.

The winter air was freezing on her already goose-pimpled skin, but she trudged over the snow anyway. She didn't know what to do, where to go. Danny was gone and not speaking to her anyway, Kathy was somewhere with Two-Bit, and she was sure Henry would never speak to her again let alone give her a ride home. It didn't matter if he wasn't technically her boyfriend, because she had technically cheated on him.

Bile rose in her throat; she was no better than Steve.

The door to Buck's opened behind her, and she spun around, an apology on the tip of her tongue until she saw Steve.

"Anna -"

She shook her head, holding her hand out to stop him. "Stay right where you are! I don't want you anywhere near me."

He looked at her, dead on. "You sure didn't mind a minute ago; you were kissin' me back, and you were just as into it as I was." He paused, shoving his hands in his jacket pocket. "Guess you ain't as over me as you thought."

"No, I'm not," she said, not giving a shit what she was confessing. "But I'm trying and you're not making it easy!"

"Why the fuck would I?"

"Because you got to. You might deny it, but you still did it." She stepped closer, until she was standing right in front of him. "You moved on, leaving me heartbroken and devastated for months while you were with Evie. The least you can do is let me move on, too."

Steve watched her carefully, and she looked away. He was looking at her as though he could see right through her, and she hated how well he still knew her. She didn't want him knowing how close to tears she was.

"You can't do this to me," she said, quieter. "You can't flirt with me and tell me you want me and kiss me. I'm not a cheater."

He flinched at her words. "Phillips ain't even your boyfriend."

"Well, shoot, I guess I have no chance with him now, do I? God, Steve, you say all this stuff about wanting to get back together, but you obviously don't care."

"I do care."

She shook her head, heart aching as she spoke. "It doesn't matter. I'm not yours anymore."

If she didn't know any better, she'd say she saw a flicker of actual pain in Steve's eyes at her words. He stared at her, not saying anything, and she wondered if he was remembering their past the same way she was. The door to Buck's opening had her pushing it all away, and she looked past Steve to see Henry come out. He didn't look angry, just frustrated. She didn't know what to make of that, but her stomach sank when he stared at Steve, not once glancing at her.

"You really wanna do -" Steve started, but Henry's fist connected with his stomach before he finished speaking.

He doubled over, winded. Anna ignored him, and ran to Henry.

"Please just leave it," she said, grabbing at his arm. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm really sorry."

Henry finally looked at her. "Maybe you oughta wait inside."

"No. I ain't letting you fight him; he's not worth it." She didn't care if guys wanted to fight, but she didn't want to be the kind of girl that boys fought over. She wasn't the kind of girl that boys fought over. "Please, Henry. Just let it go."

"Anna, he kissed you." He looked so troubled, that she almost wanted to let him continue with Steve.

"I know, but you got your hit in and I'm sure it felt great. Please don't waste anymore time fighting him."

Henry stared at her. She could see Steve out of the corner of her eye, standing upright and waiting. She ignored him, pressing closer to Henry.

"Let's go somewhere. Just the two of us." She hated the begging quality to her voice almost as much as she hated the implications she was giving out. If she had to bribe him with the idea of being alone, then she would.

He finally nodded, and she knew him well enough to know that he was agreeing for her, not the hope of getting laid. Shrugging off his leather jacket, he placed it over her shoulders. Taking his hand, she tugged him toward his car, not once looking back at Steve.

You got me begging your for mercy,
Why won't you release me?

A/N: Thanks to RileysMomma for beta-reading.

First Steve/Anna kiss of the fic is totes dedicated to Sam (samaryley) for a number of reasons. Becoming an aunt and being awesome are just two of them.

Also, if you get the chance, check out K. Nefertiti's new fic The Trials and Tribulations of Curly Shepard. It's pretty much awesome. I would know; I've already read most of it ;)