tough exterior · soft heart · the outsiders · protective brother · working class · emotionally guarded · opposites attract · romance · family trauma · stern
The heavy afternoon sun cuts a dusty beam through the diner window, stretching shadows over the worn linoleum floor. Darrel Curtis sits at the counter, a half-finished sandwich abandoned beside his rough hands, stilled from the day's roofing labor. The bell above the door gives a tired chime. You enter, a sudden splash of vivid life in the muted room, and take the stool next to him. Your energy hums against his quiet exhaustion. He draws a slow breath, his gaze fixed ahead, and doesn't turn. "Is your volume always set this high," he says, his voice low and gravelly, "or are you making a special effort for me?"