Work Text
June 17, 1962
School had been out for nearly three weeks now, so Tulsa Oklahoma was in the prime of its summer break. No homework meant late nights at the drive in. No rushing to get to class meant more time to pal around with friends.
Summer also brought along the sweet promises of romance.
“I swear, Pepsi-Cola, if you don’t hurry up in there-!” Darry’s muffled voice shouted from outside the bathroom door, followed by more loud and persistent knocking.
Sodapop sighed and ran his hands through the greased strands of his blonde hair once more, ignoring his brother for the umpteenth time. He bit at his lip as he stared into the pill cabinets mirror for a moment more, then tsked and sighed as a hand flew to his chest and smoothed down his white shirt.
“Sodapop Patrick Curtis!”
Soda groaned and glanced at the mirror once more before unlocking the bathroom door and flinging it open. He scowled up at Darry and crossed his arms. “Golly, could you be any more impatient?”
Darry looked down at the other boy and frowned, then his eyes traveled up to his freshly styled hair, then down to his unwrinkled shirt. The brunette cocked a brow and smirked. “We both know you got less patience than me. Besides, you were in there for nearly twenty minutes.”
“Oh…whoopsie daisy.” Soda’s face turned pink as he shrugged, then moved to go around the other, though he was quickly stopped by a hand to his shoulder.
“Where you goin’, buddy? Thought you were just hangin’ with Steve?”
The blonde froze with his face turning redder by the second. He chuckled after a moment and shrugged off Darry’s hand with a clearly tense smile that he was attempting to play off as nonchalant. “Yeah- Yeah, I am! Just like to look nice sometimes, is all!”
Darry looked at the other for a long moment before his face softened, nodding slowly. “Don’t worry, I getcha there, Pepsi.”
Soda laughed dryly and stilled awkwardly.
His older brother was giving him
that
look. The look that meant he knew something someone else didn’t.
Before Darry could ask anymore questions, the sound of the front door being thrown open made the pair snap out of their nervous standoff.
“Ey, Sodapop! Ya ready to go?”
Soda’s face instantly lit up as he shot around Darry towards the living room. Darry grinned and followed after his brother.
“Ready as ev-” Sodapop stopped in his tracks as he fully took in the sight of Steve.
His chocolate brown hair was greased and styled the way Steve knew Soda liked it. His shoes and jeans were clean, free of any grass stains or mud. His white tank was wrinkleless, and his red sleeveless flannel was-
Wait.
“Steve-”
“Is it too much? I thought it would be too much. I can change real fas-”
Before either of the boys knew it, Soda was across the room grabbing Steve by the biceps and shaking him as he smiled and giggled. God, that smile. He couldn’t help but return it, it was just contagious.
“Alright, alright! I think I get that you ain’t upset, you can stop shakin’ me now!” The brunette chuckled.
Sodapop let go of the others arms and stumbled over his words for a second, trying to find anything to say that would express how god damn happy he was, but then remembered a very important someone that he didn’t see leaving the room. The blonde swiveled around and waved at Darry sheepishly, who just quirked a brow again. Man, he needed to spend less time with Two-bit.
Darry pushed off of the wall and made his way towards the boys. “Before you go, I gotta give ya somethin.”
Soda watched as his older brother pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and opened it, then slid out a five dollar bill. He pushed it into the blonde's hands and swiftly walked away, ignoring the other as he spluttered.
“Wha- Dar- I can’t take this!”
“Sure ya can! I owe you anyhow, so don’t sweat it.” Darry said coolly before going into his bedroom and closing the door with a soft bang.
Sodapop looked at Steve, who just shrugged then wrapped his arm around the other’s shoulders, guiding him out of the house. The couple walked side by side to the nearest Dairy Queen with their hands close enough to touch every other step. They laughed as they chatted along the way, bright smiles never leaving either of their faces. Their cheeks were dusted a rosy pink, but who could say it wasn’t from the beginnings of the summer heat?
“Y’know, I’m real glad you asked me. I wouldn’t have ever had the balls to do it myself.” Steve said as the red and white lemon shaped sign came into view.
Soda tilted his head slightly, which made wisps of his honey blonde hair fall across his forehead. “Ask you what?”
Steve scoffed and elbowed the other in the side lightly. “Ask me for…
this
. Ya feel me?”
It took another second for it to click in the other’s mind, but then he was somehow smiling even brighter as he punched the brunette in the arm. “I’m glad I asked ya too.”
The couple hadn’t been together for very long, just a few weeks under a month was all it was so far, but by god was it the happiest they’d ever been. They’d known each other since second grade, and there was just something that made them instantly click. By the time they were old enough to realize what liking another person could really mean, past all the elementary school cootie talk, it just made sense that’s what they felt for each other. Though neither would openly admit it for a long while, Sodapop was the one to ask Steve to be together.
Of course they both knew the very serious dangers, it could mean the end of so many things. The end of their time around one another, the end of the safety they had with anyone, possibly even the end of their lives. But they decided that if they kept it a secret and were extra careful, then they would be able to make this work and be happy.
Soda rushed up towards the red door of the fast food joint and opened it for his partner, who scoffed at him playfully. They waited in line, deciding what they would be getting, then stepped up to the counter. Sodapop ordered two burgers (one with everything and one with no pickles), a basket of fries, and a large chocolate milkshake.
“Could I get two straws with that, please?” The blonde asked, then handed the cashier the money once the total was read out, not giving Steve the chance to even reach for his wallet. He gave the other a disapproving look as they waited for their number to be called, though it was quickly replaced by another smile as Soda looked around quickly then blew him a kiss, which he made sure to catch.
“I’m buyin’ next time.” Steve said as they left the restaurant. The milkshake he was holding was starting to make his hand cold.
“How ‘bout whoever hands the cash over first can pay?” Soda replied cheerfully, stomach fluttering as Steve shook his head and rolled his eyes with his pink lips still in a sweet smile.
The pair arrived at the DX gas station and made their way up the boxes and crates they had previously arranged to make it easier to gain access to the roof. Steve set the milkshake down on the makeshift table they made out of a tablecloth stolen from Mrs. Curtis and a few more abandoned crates, then went back to grab the bags of food from Soda. He then grasped the other’s hand and helped pull him up onto the roof.
“Man, I dunno how you did that with one han-” Sodapop was cut off by a soft pair of lips pressing into his own.
They parted and looked at each other for a moment before giggling and moving over to the table and sitting across from one another, then began to unpack the bags of food. Soda popped two straws into the milkshake and unwrapped his burger, taking a bite as Steve did the same. They ate their food, talking in between swallowed mouthfuls and watching as the sky began to turn pink and orange. Soda finished the last of the fries, then looked at Steve, then to the milkshake, then back at the brunette, wiggling his eyebrows the whole time.
Steve groaned. “Yer such a sap. C’mon, let’s get yer romantic fantasy outta the way.”
Soda whooped and scooted forward, then put one of the straws into his mouth, watching as Steve followed after him. To be honest, Soda was more of a strawberry shake fan, but somehow chocolate tasted better when he knew how much his boyfriend liked the flavor. Steve leaned away after taking a sip with a red covering his cheeks, which the blonde pointed out, even if he knew it would earn him a punch to the arm. The couple began to wrestle, each trying to get the upper hand as they pinned the other down for a few seconds. After a little while, Sodapop announced that he was tapping out and rolled onto his back to look up at the darkening sky.
Steve laid next to him and reached his hand out to hold the other’s, which the blonde instantly allowed. They both lay there in a comfortable silence as the stars began to shine above, fully content to just be with the other. A long moment passed before Soda sat up and rose to his feet then pulled Steve up with him. The pair gathered their trash and climbed down from the roof and began their walk to Steve’s house, talking quietly as they made their way down familiar streets. They arrived at the Randle’s house, which was as run down as it always was, and stopped at the gate to the lawn.
“If yer Pa gives ya any trouble, you come straight to my place. Savvy?”
“Savvy.” Steve said as his smile grew slightly sad. “I’ll see ya tomorrow, Pepsi-Cola. Thank you for everythin’.”
Soda nodded and gave a light shove to Steve’s shoulder. “See ya inna bit, honey.”
The brunette scoffed and grinned, then made his way to his porch, but stopped as he arrived at the door. He looked back at his boyfriend and blew him a kiss, which Soda made sure to catch. The blonde watched as Steve entered his house and closed the door behind himself, then began to walk back to his own house. Sodapop opened and closed the front door as quietly as he could and slipped off his shoes to make the creaking of floorboards less audible. He might’ve stayed out a bit later than he intended, but it was worth it.
“So, how’d it go?”
Soda nearly jumped out of his skin as he whipped around to face his older brother who was leaning against the hallway wall.
“What’re ya talkin’ bout?” Soda questioned, dread already beginning to churn in his gut.
Darry tsked and smiled smoothly. “Yer date, Sodapop. What else would I be talkin’ bout?”
The blonde spluttered for a second as he tried to think of anything to say to cover up their tracks. This was it. They’d just barely gotten started, and it was already the end. “What date? I ain’t go on any date, just hung ‘round with Steve. I swear I didn’t sneak off to see a girl or nothin’!” Soda froze at the soft chuckle he received.
“I ain’t that dumb, lil brother. I know what it’s like. Ya’ feel like you gotta hide from everyone. Even the people you love most. All ‘cause yer a lil different. I understand.”
Soda shook his head quickly and tried to make sense of the statement. Darry knew about him and Steve? He understood? He apparently took too long gawking at the other because the older continued on with a fond grin.
“You really think me and Two are just best buddies? C’mon now, Pepsi, I know you’ve noticed a few things. Yer smarter with people than anybody I’ve ever kno-”
Darry was stopped mid sentence by Sodapop hurling himself into his arms and squeezing his torso tightly. He wrapped his arms around the other and shushed his quiet repeated ‘thank you’s. The blonde pulled away with tears in his eyes and a bright smile which was reciprocated instantly.
“You know what it’s like? To be different?” Soda asked softly, a touch of hesitancy still remaining in his tone.
“I know what it’s like, Sodapop. I know.”
Soda nodded and went straight back to hugging the other as close as he could. Darry didn’t mind, if his kid brother knew he was still loved, then he’d hold on for as long as he needed.