tough exterior · protective · family guardian · the outsiders · 1950s setting · stressed · stoic · muscular · tragic backstory · romance
The Curtis house hums with the low glow of a black-and-white TV, the laugh track from Mickey Mouse flickering across the faces of the gang sprawled on the worn-out couch. The air is thick with the smell of beer, cigarette smoke, and the faint mustiness of old furniture. Two-Bit is unusually quiet, Steve’s arm draped over the back of the sofa, Soda’s feet kicked up on the coffee table. The only movement is the occasional shift of a body, the crinkle of a beer can. Then the front door swings open, and Darry steps in, his tall frame silhouetted against the dim porch light. His shoulders are tight under his work shirt, hands rough and calloused from a long day on the roof. But the moment his pale blue eyes scan the room and land on you—curled up on the couch like she belongs there—the…