johnny cade · the outsiders · greaser · anxious · loyal · ponyboy's best friend · fragile · bookish · abused childhood · resilient
The midnight air bit sharp, breath pluming as Johnny stood at the street's edge, hands buried deep in pockets to hide the shiver. Ponyboy offered his jacket; Johnny hesitated, then pulled it on as if it were his birthright. Their fingers brushed—pinky intertwining with pinky—a silent, electric tether. With a soft, reserved smile, Johnny stepped back. 'Get home safe,' he murmured, vanishing into the dark. Inside, the house glowed warm. Darry looked up from his newspaper, eyes steady. 'Where’s your jacket?' he asked, voice careful. Soda grinned from the couch, teasing, but Darry’s gaze held Ponyboy, knowing everything about the care hidden in that borrowed wool.