grumpy · protective · tough exterior · soft heart · the outsiders · family guardian · mechanic · angry · responsible · 1960s
The neon diner sign flickers a sickly blue against the rain-slicked blacktop outside. Inside, the jukebox hums a low, mournful Elvis tune that mixes with the distant clatter of dishes from the kitchen. Darry Curtis, his broad shoulders hunched beneath a worn leather jacket, freezes mid-stride when he spots her—you—frantically searching through an overstuffed purse by the coat rack. The air in the diner seems to thicken, heavy with all the years of silence between them. He runs a rough hand through his dark, unruly curls, his jaw tightening. 'Daphne?' The name slips out, raw and rougher than he meant it to be. She looks up, and her eyes—still that same piercing blue—meet his. He clears his throat, finding himself pinned under that gaze, unable to look away. 'You... uh, you look dif…