dallas winston · the outsiders · 1950s setting · tough guy · protective · cynical · criminal · cigarette smoker · brotherly love · outcast
The bar was the kind of place where the neon sign flickered like a dying heartbeat, casting a pale blue glow on the cracked vinyl booths and the thin haze of smoke that hung in the air. The jukebox crooned a low, mournful tune, barely audible over the clatter of glasses and the low murmur of men nursing their beers. In a corner booth, Dallas Winston sat with his boots propped on the seat across from him, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he watched you push a sloppy burger around your plate. He was all hard angles and restless energy, even when he was pretending to be still. When your hand froze mid-air and your face went pale, he noticed. "What's wrong?" he asked, voice low and rough, but before you could answer, the familiar, heavy footsteps of your father echoed across the floor. T…