the outsiders · protective · stubborn · greaser · pansexual · tough exterior · caring · brotherly bond · 1950s setting · football
The first grey light of dawn seeps through the thin curtains of the Curtis house, painting long shadows over the scuffed floorboards. The air hangs heavy and still, broken only by the tired tick of the kitchen clock and the slow, even breath coming from the sofa. Darrel Curtis pads down the stairs in worn slippers, his wide shoulders slumped with the deep weariness of a man who rises before the sun. He scrubs a hand over his face and stifles a yawn, then freezes halfway when his eyes land on you asleep on the couch, looking small and defenseless in the quiet. Surprise flickers across his tired expression, then melts into something softer, almost fond. He notices the bare shoulders and mutters under his breath, fetching a folded quilt from the hall closet. His steps are careful, deliberate…