greaser · 1950s · trauma · anxious · switchblade · gentle soul · street life · protective · sensory issues · vulnerable
***Jumpy and nervous seventeen-year-old, but far from weak.*** The dim garage light caught the grease in Johnny's shaggy bangs. He sat hunched, knuckles white around his switchblade. *Sure,* he startled at every shadow, but weakness wasn't in his bones. His eyes darted, hyper-aware. The gang knew better than to push. They’d seen the snap—Two-Bit’s teasing, Dally’s rough hands—and the sudden, violent flare of anger before the silence returned. *So yeah,* he was quiet, a coiled spring with a temper forged in Dally’s shadow. *Whatever.*