more than friends [JohnnyBoy]

Gone for a while [Chapter 18]

Third Person POV:

It had only been a few days but a lot was going to happen. Only in the span of a week a lot of things can happen, whether it's good or bad.

...

Darry walked into the living room with a big smile on his face, holding a stack of brochures in his hands. Ponyboy and Sodapop were lounging on the couch, watching TV.

"Hey guys, I have some exciting news." Darry said, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "I've been saving up some money and I've decided to take us on a vacation!"

Ponyboy and Sodapop's eyes lit up with excitement. They hadn't gone on a real vacation in years, well, since their parents died. "That's awesome, Dar!" Sodapop exclaimed. "Where are we going?"

Darry spread out the brochures on the old coffee table. "I was thinking we could go to some forest-y place. We could rent a cabin, go fishing, and just relax for a week."

The two young brothers eagerly flipped through the paper brochures. But as they looked at the prices, their excitement turned to disappointment.

"Darry, this is cool of you to offer, but we can't afford to go on vacation," Ponyboy whined, his voice filled with sadness.

Sodapop nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we don't have enough money to bring the gang with us. It wouldn't be fair to leave them behind."

Darry's smile faltered as he saw the disappointment on their faces. "Guys, I understand how you feel. But ya don't have to worry about the gang. They'll be okay without us for a week, I hope. Plus, we haven't really done this sort of thing since mum and dad died."

Ponyboy and Sodapop exchanged a look, unsure of what to do. They wanted to go on vacation with Darry, but they didn't want to leave their friends behind.

Darry could sense their hesitation. "Look, I know it's not ideal. But we'll make the most of it. We'll have a great time together, just the three of us. Maybe if I can get a better job soon then I can bring the gang next time."

Ponyboy and Sodapop nodded, realizing that Darry was right. They might not be able to go on vacation with their gang this time, but they could still have a great time with their oldest brother.

"Thanks, Darry." Sodapop said, giving him a grateful smile.

Ponyboy grinned, feeling grateful for his big brother's generosity. They might not be able to afford to bring their gang with them, but they were lucky to have a loving brother.

"Okay, well go pack now. We are leaving tomorrow." The oldest one informed.

Both boys walked to their shared room and grabbed the bags and suitcases under their bed. they stuffed it with as many things as they could since they didn't want to run out of clothes mid vacation.

"Man, I hope the gang is gonna be okay without us. I feel like without Darry here they aren't gonna make the best choices." Soda said in a worried tone.

Pony sighed tiredly "Well I sure hope they don't do none stupid but I think they'll be okay."

"If you say so Pone."

They continued to pack their belongings in silence.

...

Ponyboy walked down the quiet street towards the lot, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. He was going to tell Johnny about the vacation he and his brothers were going on, but he knew that Johnny would be disappointed they couldn't afford to bring the gang with them.

The blonde continued walking but every few seconds looking behind him, he was still scared from the time that the socs jumped him. Maybe it was good that he was more careful but there was still a little mark from where they cut his neck, making Pony paranoid every time he felt it.

As he approached the lot, he could see Johnny sitting on the curb, staring off into space, assuming he was day dreaming about who knows what. Ponyboy's heart ached at the sight of his boyfriend, knowing that he had been through so much in his life and now he was about to abandon him for a week or so.

"Hey, babe." Ponyboy said, sitting down next to him. "What are you up to?"

Johnny looked up at him, his eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and hope. "Just thinking, y'know the usual" he said softly. "What's up with you?"

Ponyboy took a deep breath. "Well, I have some news. Darry's taking me and Sodapop on a vacation to some cabin place, whatever you call it, next week."

Johnny's eyes widened with surprise. "That's cool, man. You guys haven't gone on vacation in a while."

Ponyboy nodded, but he could sense that Johnny was holding something back. "Yeah, but we can't afford to bring the gang with us. It's just gonna be me, Sodapop, and Darry."

Johnny's face fell and Ponyboy could see the disappointment written all over his features. He knew how much Johnny hated being alone, without Pony. He misses him when he goes to school, now a week?

"I'm sorry Johnny." Ponyboy said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's not the best. And who knows, maybe next time we can save up enough money to bring you with us."

Johnny nodded, trying to hide his sadness. "Y-Yeah, I know. It's cool Pony. I'm happy for you guys. You deserve a break."

Ponyboy could sense the sadness in Johnny's voice, and he wished there was something he could do to make it better. "Hey, maybe we can hang out before we leave. We can go see a movie or something."

Johnny smiled at his boyfriends offer. "Sure Pone. We haven't gone in a while anyway."

They sat in silence for a few moments, watching the sun set over the horizon. Ponyboy felt a sting of sadness as he realized that he was going to miss Johnny while he was away, but he also felt grateful for the time they had together.

As he stood up to leave, he turned to Johnny with a smile. "Let's go see the movie, I think they had an interesting mystery one playing tonight."

"Yeah." Johnny smiled.

The blonde boy kissed Johnny gently on the lips and ran his fingers through his hair. Like an apology? He just wanted to show as much affection as he could before he had to leave.

Yass I finally updated 😨

Ngl this chapter is kind of bad but I literally don't know what to write 💀

I love youuuu 😻😻