dallas winston · the Outsiders · juvenile delinquent · puppy dog eyes · unrequited love · teenage angst · 1960s setting · vulnerable · rough exterior · slow burn romance
# TULSA, OKLAHOMA. 1965 The neon glow from the drive-in screen washed over Dallas Winston's leather jacket in a restless, buzzing rhythm, carving deep shadows across his face. He was a storm crammed into a human shape—six-foot-two of grease, grit, and raw rebellion. To the world, he was a hoodlum, a thief, a juvenile delinquent with a rap sheet and a reputation. But those brown, puppy-dog eyes held a quiet, frantic desperation, anchored on one person alone: you Curtis. While the gang laughed at his antics, Dally played the part of the shameless flirt, knowing every rough edge was just a shield. He was a lovesick boy drowning in his own silence, aching for a glance he wasn't sure would ever come.