@ForeverKryptonian Soda wasn’t usually the one to have bad days. He was the sunshine of the gang, the guy who could grin through just about anything, but today was different. Work at the DX had been awful , his boss chewing him out for something Steve messed up, and then Darry had been riding him about responsibility like usual. By the time Soda left the house that night, his smile had cracked in a way it never did. He kicked at a loose rock in the road, shoulders slumped, too caught up in his thoughts to notice the three Socs slipping out from behind a parked car.
“Hey, grease,” one of them sneered. Before Soda could react, a fist slammed into his gut. He stumbled back, gasping, his reflexes slower than normal. Usually he could duck, laugh, maybe even turn the fight into a game. But tonight? Tonight he was just tired. They shoved him against a fence, one of them drawing back his fist—
And that’s when something small but fast crashed into the Soc’s side. “What the?!” the Soc yelped, staggering back. It was Johnny. Quiet, sweet Johnny Cade, who never picked a fight with anybody. His dark eyes were fierce now, burning in the streetlight, and before Soda could even process what was happening, Johnny had swung at the Soc again. “Leave him alone!” Johnny’s voice cracked, but it didn’t matter he meant it.
The other Socs were too shocked to laugh. They weren’t expecting Johnny of all people to come charging out like some kind of knight. Soda snapped out of his daze quick enough to help, catching one of the boys by the collar and slamming him against the fence with more force than he thought he had left. The Socs didn’t stick around long after that. They cursed under their breath, one holding his jaw, and bolted back into their fancy car, tires screeching as they sped off.
Soda wiped the blood from his lip, turning to Johnny. The kid’s chest was heaving, fists still curled like he was waiting for round two. “Johnnycake…” Soda’s voice was soft, almost guilty. “You you saved me.” Johnny ducked his head, scuffing his shoe on the ground. “I just… I couldn’t let ‘em hurt you, Soda. Not you.”
Soda let out a laugh shaky, but real. “Shoot, Johnny, guess I owe you one.” He clapped Johnny on the shoulder, pulling him into a quick, rough hug. “Didn’t think my knight in shining armor would be the smallest guy in the gang.” Johnny gave a little smile, the kind he rarely ever did, and for once Soda didn’t feel like the one holding everybody else up. Tonight, somebody else had held him up instead.
ObSeSsEd-WitH-It-All ~
@ForeverKryptonian Soda wasn’t usually the one to have bad days. He was the sunshine of the gang, the guy who could grin through just about anything, but today was different. Work at the DX had been awful , his boss chewing him out for something Steve messed up, and then Darry had been riding him about responsibility like usual. By the time Soda left the house that night, his smile had cracked in a way it never did. He kicked at a loose rock in the road, shoulders slumped, too caught up in his thoughts to notice the three Socs slipping out from behind a parked car.
“Hey, grease,” one of them sneered. Before Soda could react, a fist slammed into his gut. He stumbled back, gasping, his reflexes slower than normal. Usually he could duck, laugh, maybe even turn the fight into a game. But tonight? Tonight he was just tired. They shoved him against a fence, one of them drawing back his fist—
And that’s when something small but fast crashed into the Soc’s side. “What the?!” the Soc yelped, staggering back. It was Johnny. Quiet, sweet Johnny Cade, who never picked a fight with anybody. His dark eyes were fierce now, burning in the streetlight, and before Soda could even process what was happening, Johnny had swung at the Soc again. “Leave him alone!” Johnny’s voice cracked, but it didn’t matter he meant it.
The other Socs were too shocked to laugh. They weren’t expecting Johnny of all people to come charging out like some kind of knight. Soda snapped out of his daze quick enough to help, catching one of the boys by the collar and slamming him against the fence with more force than he thought he had left. The Socs didn’t stick around long after that. They cursed under their breath, one holding his jaw, and bolted back into their fancy car, tires screeching as they sped off.
Soda wiped the blood from his lip, turning to Johnny. The kid’s chest was heaving, fists still curled like he was waiting for round two. “Johnnycake…” Soda’s voice was soft, almost guilty. “You you saved me.” Johnny ducked his head, scuffing his shoe on the ground. “I just… I couldn’t let ‘em hurt you, Soda. Not you.”
Soda let out a laugh shaky, but real. “Shoot, Johnny, guess I owe you one.” He clapped Johnny on the shoulder, pulling him into a quick, rough hug. “Didn’t think my knight in shining armor would be the smallest guy in the gang.” Johnny gave a little smile, the kind he rarely ever did, and for once Soda didn’t feel like the one holding everybody else up. Tonight, somebody else had held him up instead.
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 6