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Johnny had been surprised to make a friend like Randy in kindergarten, what with him being a poorer kid and not very talkative. But somehow, the two were practically inseparable. Randy made Johnny feel normal, wanted, and needed. They'd grown up together essentially, and they were the best of friends. One day, Johnny had come over to Randy's house and somehow Johnny managed to convince Randy to make bracelets with him since one of his, less close, greaser friends had gifted him a kit to make them. The pair sat down in Randy's room, Johnny getting out all the supplies. Randy tried to act like he was too tuff and cool to do it, but he secretly was just as excited as Johnny was to make cute matching bracelets.
"This'll be so fun." Johnny said, a wide grin on his usually somber face.
Randy grinned at Johnny's excitement, his cheeks dusted lightly as pink "Yeah-yeah, I'm sure it'll be 'fun'" Randy said, sarcastically. Despite putting up the act of being a tough guy, Randy was just as excited as him. He liked making Johnny happy. He was his closest friend, despite the differences between them both. "I can't believe you convinced me to do this." Johnny knew how tough Randy liked to act, he was a big shot Soc after all. He just wished Randy didn't feel the need to use the act when they were by themselves. Johnny set the beads and string down between the both of them.
"I can't believe you were so easy to convince." Johnny shot back, wrinkling his nose as he grinned from ear to ear.
Randy playfully rolled his eyes, trying to hold back his smirk. "Hey, I'm not easy to convince." He protested, though it was a half-hearted protest. He leaned towards the beads and strings, beginning to go through the various colors of beads. He was secretly trying to find a color that would compliment Johnny's eyes.
"I find that hard to believe when all I had to do was go, 'hey wanna make bracelets' and you gave no fight."
Johnny waited for Randy to pick his stuff before he went in for his own. His brown eyes scanned the beads as he grabbed a piece of string. He figured he'd do one with the colors Randy usually wore, that'd be pretty, right? Randy let out a huff, though he was secretly amused by Johnny's sass. "Okay, maybe I'm a little too eager to do whatever you want" He mumbled, not admitting that he did, however, actually like hanging out with Johnny even if the activity was a bit... He grabbed up a few strings of red, green and black beads as he tried to pretend to focus on picking out his options. He was also struggling to ignore how close Johnny was sitting to him.
Johnny grinned happily at Randy, nudging him with his shoulder. "Hey, it's not so bad. I mean, who wouldn't wanna make something with their friend?"
Johnny was sitting almost right next to Randy as he grabbed his own beads and began to weave and loop them onto the string. He was.. definitely not making a regular bracelet for Randy. Looked more like a Kandi cuff. Randy couldn't help but let out a chuckle as Johnny nuzzled up against him, he was definitely a bit flustered but tried to hide it.
"Yeah, yeah- I guess you do have a point." Randy's eyes widened a bit as he saw what Johnny was making. He had been expecting to make a simple bracelet, not something as complex as whatever he was making. "What are you making? It sure ain't a bracelet."
Johnny was very focused on his cuff as Randy spoke, taking a second to register the question. "Hm-? Oh, it's a cuff. My friend, Two-Bit, taught me how to make it." He answered, looping the string through the beads to keep them in place. "I figured I could make one for you, to go with your blue shirt."
He held the half finished product up to show Randy. It was a mixture of deep and light blue beads and white ones as well. Randy blushed even more as Johnny held up the cuff to show him. His heart fluttered a bit as he looked at him and the pretty beads. He tried to play it off like it was nothing though.
"You... are making that for me?" He tried to act all tough and cool, but was secretly very touched. The colors that he'd picked, blue with white and a bit of red to compliment his necklace, would look very pretty on him.
Johnny took Randy's tone as if he didn't like it, looking from him to the half finished cuff. "Do you not want it? I-i could just make a regular bracelet if you want?" He questioned, already reaching for the scissors to cut the string and ruin his hard work.
"What?!"
Randy stopped him immediately, grabbing Johnny's wrist to stop from cutting the cuff.
"No-No don't cut it, I want... I like it."
He still wanted to act like he was a cool soc, but he was very touched with the effort Johnny put into this. He looked down at the cuff, secretly pleased with the colors. Johnny blinked in surprise when Randy grabbed his wrist, flinching a little just because, well- usually when he was grabbed it wouldn't end in anything good.
"You.. like it?" He questioned, a slight smile pulling onto his lips.
He wasn't too used to anyone really liking anything he did. He knew Randy was his best friend, but those doubts had been so hammered into his head by his parents and peers that no one would ever want him that he couldn't help but worry that Randy was lying or something like that. Randy was oblivious to the flinch, but noticed the worry on Johnny's face. He gently took the cuff from his hands, his fingers brushing over his skin. Being so close to Johnny was very distracting to him, though he tried to focus on the cuff and not his friend.
"Yeah, I like it. I... no, I love it." He tried to be nonchalant, but it was hard to mask the admiration in his voice. He loved any gift Johnny gave him.
Johnny smiled as he let Randy take the cuff from him. It wasn't done by any means, but he was glad he liked it at least. "I'm sure you'd, love it more if it were actually finished." Johnny chuckled a little, holding out his hands to take the unfinished cuff from his friend.
Randy reluctantly handed over the cuff, letting Johnny take it back. He tried to feign annoyance, but a small smile was on his face.
"How am I supposed to love it if it's not even finished? It's gotta be perfect, you know that." He replied jokingly, gently shoving Johnny with his shoulder.
"I dunno. You like me, don't you?" Johnny shot back, joking of course as he began to work on the cuff once more. Johnny was oblivious to the fact Randy might like him, if anything he just thought he cared about him and that was all.
Randy was caught blindsided by his comment, suddenly turning beet red. He tried to act like what Johnny said had no effect on him, he tried to act like he was just playing around with him... but he found himself tongue-tied. He was too flustered to respond properly, so he let out a scoff and tried to play it off as just messing with Johnny.
"Of course I like you, what kind of idiot do you take me for? We've been friends since kindergarten."
"Mmh, a rich idiot?" Johnny wasn't an idiot. He could see how flustered Randy got, and that told him everything he needed to know. "Heh, maybe I'll make you some matching rings with his cuff. Then you and Bob can match, but Bob won't have a cool best friend who can make anything out of beads and strings."
He grabbed Randy's wrist, sliding the almost finished cuff on and finishing it there. He gave a wide smile as he looked at his creation on Randy's wrist.
Randy scoffed and gave a playful shove, "Hey, watch it. I'm not some stupid, spoiled soc okay? I can be smart too." He jokingly protested, letting out a dramatic huff. Randy's heart thundered in his chest at the mention of rings. He swallowed hard as he felt Johnny slide the cuff onto his wrist. He looked down at it, admiring the way the colors complemented his skin and clothing. He was very pleased. Johnny seemed pleased as well as he tried the loose ends of the string together, snipping the excess and hiding them under the beads. It looked real nice, real tuff, at least to Johnny it did. He could only imagine how Randy felt though. He seemed to like it well enough, but you could never be too sure about a boy like him. Randy stared at the piece of bead jewelry with a fond smile on his face. He took his arm back to look at it better. Johnny waited with baited breath as Randy turned his wrist around to inspect it.
"Well, it certainly is well made." Randy finally said, grinning from ear to ear as he looked back at Johnny, "For something made by a greaser."
Johnny smiled. If Randy was being a smart alec, it meant that he was happy. Johnny had come to learn that after many years of being subject to his sarcastic humor at many points in their lives. He punched Randy's arm affectionately.
"Yeah well it's better than anything your socy money can buy." He snickered, grinning wide as well as he gave Randy a punch on the arm.
Randy snorted as he pulled Johnny into a headlock, the greaser boy letting out a sound of startle as the two began to wrestle. While Randy was bigger, Johnny was quicker and smaller. He was able to squirm his way out of Randy's grasp for seconds before those strong arms grasped him by the sides and began to tickle him. Johnny squirmed and writhed in Randy's grasp, loud laughter being torn from him. Tears pricked at his eyes as the fluttering sensation on his sides persisted. "I give up! I give up!" He howled with laughter, wiggling and trying to get away. Randy squeezed Johnny's sides as he held him back against his chest.
"You are so easy to get control of. It's a wonder no ones just picked you up and taken you away." Randy joked, giving Johnny a slight squeeze.
"Pff- as if I haven't already?" Johnny shot back, earning some red on Randy's cheeks.
"No! I don't own you or anything." Randy huffed, letting go of Johnny, but the boy stayed seated in his lap with legs crossed.
"No, but you look at me like you wanna." Johnny teased, although he was sort of.. serious? Randy had always had a look of longing towards him whenever the pair were together. "Randy, can I ask you something?"
"Uhm.. Sure. Anything."
"Do you like me? Like, like like me?"
Randy was silent. He wasn't too sure how to respond. He'd been caught. Randy had always had a crush on Johnny, ever since they were little boys he had wished that he could be with Johnny as more than just a friend. But that was wrong. A boy couldn't like another boy. Boys were supposed to like girls and all that kind of gross stuff. But Randy just.. he didn't know. He liked girls, like Marcia, one of his classmates, but he also liked Johnny. Johnny was the sweetest, bravest and kindest boy he'd ever met. And he wanted that. He wanted a sweet and caring boy. He wanted Johnny. He wanted him to be his.. boyfriend.
"I.. I do."
Johnny simply smiled, leaning upwards and nudging the underside of Randy's chin. "I thought so." Johnny took Randy's hand in his, their fingers twined together, "Well I like you too."