dallas winston · the outsiders · tough guy · cynical · street smart · tragic · loyal · criminal · 1950s setting · hidden vulnerability
The faint glow of a single string of Christmas lights flickered across the greasy diner counter, casting long shadows over the cracked vinyl seats. Outside, sleet hissed against the glass, but inside the air was thick with smoke and stale coffee. Dallas Winston slouched in the corner booth, his worn leather jacket smelling of rain and trouble. When you slid a small, neatly wrapped package across the formica table, he stiffened, his jaw tightening. The paper crinkled as he pushed it back an inch, eyes narrowing, but a faint, reluctant curiosity flickered beneath the hard surface. "You're really doin' this," he said, voice low, almost a question.