~My Cade~ // Johnny Cade x Reader ("the outsiders" plot base)

"do you like him better than me?"

Warnings: None

Word Count: 868

We crouched in the weeds by the railroad tracks. Pony and Johnny looked awful tired, but I was awake as ever. The whistle got louder until the train pulled in and stopped. 

"Now," Johnny said, sleepily. He took my hand and we all pulled ourselves into a boxcar. We stayed as quiet as a mouse as the workers went about outside the car, and one even looked inside. My eyes got wide and I was about to make a run for it, but Johnny covered my mouth and held me down. We were in the shadows, and luckily, he didn't see us. Soon, the train started.

 "First stop'll be Windrixville." he continued, setting the gun down. "I don't see why he gave us this. We couldn't shoot anybody. " My cheeks went white and Johnny instantly stopped talking. I had killed a kid. A kid that couldn't be much older than me. Ended his life. Now the fuzz was after me and I was sitting  next to a loaded gun. I wished for some cigarettes. 

Johnny and Pony soon stretched out in the boxcar and fell asleep. As the train continued moving, Johnny progressively scooted closer to me in his sleep until he was using my legs for a pillow. I stayed deathly still, afraid to move. I stayed there until it was time. 

"Let's go," I whispered, shaking them awake. We leaped off of the train and into a meadow; Pony and Johnny were still in a sleepy daze. "Blast it, Johnny, you must have put my legs to sleep. I can't even stand up. I barely got off that train." I rubbed my legs furiously as Johnny helped me stand up and we started the trek up to who knows where. 

"I'm sorry. Why didn't you wake me up?" 

I stayed quiet, trying to think of a response. "I didn't want to." We stared into each other's eyes. His were so beautiful and dark and sweet and sensitive- Ponyboy was already gone.

"Hey, hey wait up!" We called. In front of us was a tractor and a man.

"Well?" Johnny asked.

"Well what?" Pony asked.

"Well go ask him. Go ask him where we are," I said, answering for Johnny.

"Why don't you go ask him?" he asked, snootily. 

"My ankle's hurt, and I don't wanna walk on it," I complained. Johnny looked at me with concern and guilt, like it was his fault. I was going to say it wasn't true, but Pony interrupted.

"What am I gonna say?"

"I don't know, make like a farm boy taking a walk or something - they'll never know," I replied. "Go ask someone. The story won't be in the paper yet." 

"Do I look like a farm boy to you?" Pony asked, annoyed. I had to stop myself from laughing.

"Just, just ask him where Jay Mountain is," Johnny said. "Don't worry about it."

"They're gonna know who I am as soon as they look at me!" Ponyboy whined. 

"Just run a comb through your hair or something," I said.

After fixing his hair, he irritatedly said, "I guess I look okay now, huh guys?" I studied him intensely.

"You know, you look a lot like Sodapop, the way you've got your hair and everything. I mean, except your eyes are green," I commented. 

Pony went red. "They ain't green, they're gray! And I look about as much like Soda as Johnny. He's good-looking." 

"Shoot, you are too," I said without thinking. Johnny made a noise that was in between a grunt and a whimper. I turned to Johnny and my face heated up, so I quickly shoved Pony and said, "Git goin!" 

I turned to Johnny and he reddened and looked away. I instinctively knew something was wrong and walked up to him. He avoided eye contact, but quietly asked, "How's your ankle?" 

"It's fine, I just made an excuse to get Pony to get directions," I said, sitting down in the tall grass next to him. We were quiet for the next few minutes before Johnny broke the silence.

"Do you really think Pony's good-looking?" he asked. My mind spun. I didn't know what to say...

"I mean, yeah, but, like, in a friendly manner, I- uh-" I stuttered. 

"Do you like him better than me?" Johnny asked quietly before flushing pink. "I'm sorry, I- Never mind." 

He scooted a little bit away from me as I mumbled a quiet 'no' under my breath. I don't know if he heard me. Ponyboy was already back. We climbed up the road to the church and it was steep and long. Pony and Johnny were getting awful tired, I could tell. I was tired too, but there was no way I was going to sleep until I was in that church. And I made sure that they weren't either. Eventually, we got there. It was a small and old church that looked like it popped out of a horror movie. We slipped inside and Pony and Johnny immediately flopped down onto the floor like noodles. Their legs were jelly, and so were mine. I followed soon after, positioning myself next to Johnny, my face rubbing gently against his back.