Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, as much as I'd like to pretend I do! Characters are property of S.E. Hinton.

Title: Boy's Don't Kiss

Chapter One: That Unshakable Feeling

The side door to the garage slammed shut hard.

Sodapop Curtis spun around to see his best friend, Steve Randle, stomp in with flushed cheeks and gritted teeth.

"What's wrong?" asked Soda.

"Evie is makin' me so damn mad! That bitch is pushin' me too far, Soda!"

Soda who was always there to help others put his hand on Steve's shoulder, "Hey, settle down, Steve. Everythin's gonna be alright."

"She's two timin' me, Soda! She's pullin' a stunt on me, man! Can you believe it? I'm so damn tired of these games!" Steve paced back and forth inside the garage at the DX Station. Evie, his on and off girlfriend, was fooling around with another greaser after she'd promised Steve she would be true to him only. Steve was fed up and told her to go to hell for the last time. She wasn't even a good lay. Screw it.

"I just can't win. Just when I thought she was gonna be the one, she has to go and pull this bullshit," Steve groaned.

"Hey, come on, Steve. Evie was just probably tryin' to make you jealous or somethin.' She's tellin' you a bunch of lies just to see if you care."

"Well I don't care anymore. She can go and screw anyone she wants, man. I ain't playin' no more."

"You don't mean that-"

"Yes I do!" Steve yelled and picked up a nearby wrench throwing it across the garage. The heavy tool hit the wall leaving a dent in the wood before it landed on the ground with a dull thud.

Soda sighed, "Hey, I know thing's can get rough. Believe me, Sandy has been no picnic, but I couldn't imagine life without her. Evie will come 'round, Steve. You should be patient-"

"Patient? What the hell for? So's she can have her cake and eat it too? No way, man! Besides, life's too damn short for this kind of bullshit." Steve Randle angrily picked up some metal pliers and began working on one of the cars in the garage.

Soda frowned, "Ah Steve, those are wire cutters. I think that will cause more harm than good."

Steve looked at his best friend, "Are you workin' on this here car or am I?"

"Fine," Soda grinned, "But it's your ass that's gonna be kicked."

The midday sunshine cut across Soda's face. Steve stared at him for a moment realizing that he looked unusually handsome. Steve huffed and then turned back to the engine biting his bottom lip. The emotions within him stirred. He'd been friends with Soda for years. He'd never thought about him in any other way, but like a brother. Steve noticed these new feelings were very uncomfortable. They were odd, but exciting. He shut them out as quickly as he could, yet they remained in the back of his mind like a child peeking around a corner. Always there, always grinning like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. At his house, later that night, Steve contemplated what was going on. He had to face this. There was no way in hell he could have something for Sodapop. No way...

It wasn't all Evie's fault. She had been playin' around for months and Steve wasn't the perfect little angel of commitment either. He flirted and sometimes felt up a girl or two. What's wrong with makin' out with a pretty lady? It's not like he's got some chick straddlin' his groin in the backseat of his car! And if he did, what Evie doesn't know ain't gonna hurt her! Their relationship has its clauses that give both of them room to roam. So why is he all broken up about this? Because he's been fighting the same tickly feeling inside his belly. It's the feeling he gets when he sees Soda. Where did it come from? Why? Will it go away? As far as his hormones have told him, the feeling is not going away any time soon. It seems to be getting worse. So much so that he broke up with Evie earlier that day. Sick and fed up with fighting the feeling and pretending to be turned on by Evie's heavy make-up and loud voice, Steve told his old time girlfriend to hit the road. She, of course, just dismissed him as they argue more frequently now. She figured he'd be back as usual.

Steve got up from his bed as quietly as he could. He didn't want to wake up his father and get the old fart hollerin.' He stared at himself in the dresser mirror. He looked tired. Steve sighed and ran his fingers through his greasy hair. He squeezed his eyes shut and felt them burn with fatigue. As he opened them to stare at his reflection, he told himself in a soft whisper, "What's wrong with you, boy? Have you gone nuts or somethin? How could you ever think of your best friend that way? What would happen if the gang found out about your little crush? What then, stupid? Not only would they judge you, but Dally would kick your ass! Hell, Darry would forget about kicking it and just kill you! And that Ponyboy...Jesus, he'd be more of a pest than ever! No way, man. Soda won't ever know what's goin' on in your mind. You'd rather die..."

-

When Steve saw Soda the next day at work, Soda approached him puzzled, "What's goin' on with you?"

Steve looked at him with wide eyes. Did he know? "What are you talkin' about?"

"Well, you always come over in the mornin' and Darry drives us to work. This was the first time in a while that you didn't show up. I thought you were sick or somethin.' Are you feelin' alright?" Soda reached out his hand and pressed it gently against Steve's forehead. Soda's maternal instinct was runnin' on full blast since his mom and dad died a few years back leaving Darry to raise both Soda and Ponyboy alone. While Darry always acted like "Dad," Soda acted like "Mom."

Steve pulled back as he felt the funny feeling creep up his groin, "I'm fine! I've been busy, that's all."

Soda smiled softly, eyes dancing, "Well, I'm worried about you any way. You look so tired. You should go home early if the garage is dead. I can cover the station alone."

Steve fought the feeling as best he could. Damn Soda...he looked so irresistible standing there with that angelic look on his mug. The seventeen year old Steve licked his lips, but sucked in his bottom lip.

Soda grinned, dimples accenting his unusual beauty, "You do that more and more now. Why do you bite you lip, huh? You're gonna make it turn red if you keep that up. Ponyboy used to do that when he was little. My mom would constantly scold him for it. What's wrong, Steve?" Soda took a couple of steps closer to Steve. Steve's heart pounded hard against his chest and his mind screamed for solace.

Enough...

Steve allowed his best friend to stand right before him. Soda continued to smile, but it faded when he saw the look of intent in his best friend's eyes. It was a gaze he'd never seen before. For a second the word LUST popped into Soda's brain, but he pushed it out ashamed of himself for even thinking it. But Steve still looked at him that way.

Always trying to make light of things, Soda grinned, "You know, if I didn't know better I'd say your either gonna hit me or kiss me!"

Steve didn't even blink.

Soda's smile faded a bit, "I'm not sure which would be worse."

Finally Steve blinked and his eyes shifted back and forth as if coming out of a trance. He quickly smiled big making light of the situation, "I...I... I ain't gonna kiss you! You done gone loco, boy! What...what's wrong with you?"

Soda stood there with a blank expression as Steve paced the station garage for a moment or two.

"Steve," Soda said seriously, "What's really goin' on here?"

Steve faced his friend with guilty eyes. His brow furrowed and his bottom lip tucked itself under his upper teeth. The feelings got too close this time. He was going to have to bury them deeper. Deep enough so he could never feel them again...

Could he?