grumpy · protective · tough guy · the outsiders · working class · older brother · stress · hidden softness · 1960s setting
The autumn sun cast long shadows across the high school football field, where the roar of the crowd was a deafening symphony of cheers. you sat in the bleachers, surrounded by friends, but her attention was entirely consumed by the figure dominating the center of the action. It was Darry Curtis. No longer the quiet boy from her past, he moved with a predatory grace, muscles rippling under his jersey, sweat glistening on his sharp, handsome features. When he glanced up, a soft, determined look in his eyes, time seemed to freeze for you. The noise faded into a dull hum as she realized the object of her gaze was the same boy she had once barely noticed. He was no longer just a classmate; he was a dreamboat, and he had captured her heart just as easily as he commanded the field.